subject: Polystyrene Packaging [print this page] Polystyrene is a petroleum derivative manufactured by the petrochemical industry. It is one of the most widely used plastics, with annual global usage volumes exceeding billions of kilograms.
Polystyrene is moderately strong, very lightweight and has excellent insulating properties. It is commonly used for making disposable cups, plates or cutlery; as insulation material in a variety of applications; but it is most widely used as packaging material for products such as food and beverages, CDs and DVDs, electronic appliances and almost everything in between.
Due to its inert and non-biodegradable characteristics, polystyrene is an excellent choice for food packaging. Polystyrene packaging helps maintain the temperature of food and beverages for a long period of time. Solid polystyrene blocks of various shapes and sizes are ideal buffers for packing sensitive or fragile materials and keeping out moisture and heat. In fact, this quality is the biggest advantage of polystyrene packaging over materials like cardboard or jute. In contrast to traditional packing materials such as wooden crates, polystyrene packaging is lighter, economical and considerably less susceptible to wear and tear. Polystyrene packaging is also able to retain its shape and quality over longer periods of time in comparison to cardboard, wood or jute.
Technical studies have listed the many environmental benefits of polystyrene. Polystyrene packaging is fully recyclable; and its overall carbon footprint is reportedly lower than that of paper or paperboard products since its manufacture requires fewer resources and less energy. Moreover, the manufacturing process of polystyrene is CFC free. Thus, polystyrene packaging offers an environmentally sustainable option for a wide range of packaging requirements. Polystyrene also offers the secondary benefit of having more than twice the energy content of coal. As well as this, unwanted polystyrene packaging materials can be used as a cheap fuel source by the economically weaker sections of society.
Styrotech Limited is one of the leading designers and manufacturers of polystyrene packaging in the UK. Styrotech offers end to end solutions for its customers polystyrene packaging requirements by taking into account the nature of the product, storage and transportation needs as well as the customers target market.
