Category: Insights

Fire engineering depends on codes, tests, models, research and professional experience. Each provides essential evidence. None removes the need for judgement. In the third article in his Beyond Fast and Easy Answers series, NEPSA Director Chresten Heide-Anderson examines how the framing of a technical question can influence the answer that follows. The article, When the

The U.S. Plastics Pact has removed expanded polystyrene transport packaging from its Problematic & Unnecessary Materials List after reviewing evidence of recycling at scale. It is the first packaging format to be removed from the list since its establishment. The decision applies specifically to moulded EPS transport packaging used to protect durable goods, temperature-sensitive products

The second article in Chresten Heide-Anderson’s Beyond Fast and Easy Answers series examines how expectations and early hypotheses may shape the interpretation of fire evidence. A fire leaves behind a scene, not an explanation. Investigators may have witness accounts, recordings and information from the emergency response, but they cannot observe the complete event again. They

How do scientific findings become public narratives? And why can those narratives become surprisingly difficult to change, even when new evidence emerges? These are the questions explored in the latest edition of Beyond Fast and Easy Answers, written by NEPSA Director Chresten Heide-Anderson. The article builds on the previous newsletter, which examined a bottle-tracking study

Recent discussions on the proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) have highlighted both increased clarity and emerging concerns—particularly around definitions and exemptions. A recent article by NEPSA Director Chresten Heide-Anderson uses this debate as a starting point to explore a broader question: How do definitions and measurement frameworks influence environmental outcomes? The article reflects

The Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) has released new guidelines for the responsible handling of expanded (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) on construction and demolition sites. The recommendations provide practical, real-world guidance to prevent material losses, reduce environmental emissions, and strengthen circularity across the building sector. What the guidelines offer The document answers key operational questions that

A new factsheet from NEPSA and EUMEPS highlights the findings of a 2025 lifecycle study by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). The study compared four packaging types—EPS, EPP, corrugated cardboard, and moulded pulp—used for transporting televisions and washing machines across Europe. The results show that packaging must be evaluated on its ability

When making decisions, our brains rely on two complementary systems. Psychologists call them System 1 (fast, automatic, intuitive) and System 2 (slow, effortful, analytical). Both are essential. But when important choices are made too quickly, System 1 can lead us to draw misleading conclusions. In a recent issue of his Beyond Fast and Easy Answers