WHAT IS ESP

BASIC THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT EPS

  EPS means Expanded Polystyrene Products and was invented in 1944. This petrochemical plastic is obtained from crystal polystyrene or Crystal PS and it’s composed of 98% of air.

We can identify EPS products in many things we use in our daily lives, such as cups, lids, and food containers. Many of these are single-use plastics (designed to be used only once). But they can also be hidden inside applications from bike helmets to surf boards.

 It has many different uses. EPS is often used to insulate living areas such as roofs, walls or floors. In the food packaging sector, EPS is used to keep a product at the right temperature. It is used in the production of fish crates and meat trays, for instance. EPS is also used in industrial packaging to protect several products, mainly home appliances.

EPS foam has its advantages: it’s lightweight, inexpensive, moldable and has great insulating properties (thermal, shock absorbent and holds liquids).

  But it is a serious marine litter problem. In the oceans, it breaks down into tiny fragments. These are eaten by plankton, fish and seabirds and as such enter the food chain. Ultimately, it can threaten us.

  EPS is very durable, so it accumulates in nature, damaging ecosystems we rely on. Also, it is absorbent, which means it acts like pollutant sponges. And being lightweight, it gets blown by the wind.

  EPS represents a paradox. It is relatively considered in the instructions of selective sorting because it represents only a weak mass per inhabitant(500g/inhabitant/year), but it´s very low density makes it the most produced plastic in terms of volume in 2016.