Reverse logistics has been gaining prominence due to organisations taking responsibility for the product life cycle, whether for legislative reasons or customer satisfaction. The aim of this study is to carry out a case study in the city of Ponta Grossa, in the state of Paraná, where the reverse chain of expanded polystyrene (EPS) is mapped in order to identify the barriers that make the process inefficient. In order to better understand the barriers that prevent EPS from being returned to the organisation of origin, a bibliographic survey was carried out to compare theory with practice. Data was collected through questionnaires to consumers, the company that reprocesses expanded polystyrene, as well as a visit and subsequent interview with those responsible for the Acamaro co-operative in the city of Ponta Grossa and expanded polystyrene collection points.