What is Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)?
It is a fairly fragile material and very sensitive to practically all solvents; It is easy to mold, which is why it is present in a large part of the packaging of the electrical components. It is a plastic that is obtained from the polymerization of styrene with relative ease, it has a closed cellular structure and is filled with air. Polystyrene, like the vast majority of thermoplastic polymers, is derived from hydrocarbons (oil or natural gas).
Characteristics of polystyrene
EPS is highly light and can support many times its own weight in water because its cells are not interconnected, heat does not pass through EPS easily which makes it a good insulator and that is why it is used for trays food, coffee cups, among others. Lightness and great adaptability are the two characteristics of EPS packaging that have posed a challenge in the management of waste.
Environmental impact
Expanded Polystyrene has been designed to have a useful life of a few minutes or a few hours, however, it continues in our environment for 500 or more years, which is how long it takes to degrade. Particularly its lightness and flotation capacity means that it can be easily moved through water channels or drains, ending up, as expected, in the ocean where it is separated into small non-biodegradable pieces that marine fauna ingests thinking that it is food. damaging or even causing death. Another of the environmental impacts generated by the production of expanded polystyrene is the generation of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main cause of the greenhouse effect since the raw material for the production of this material is styrene, which is a derivative of petroleum, a material non-renewable
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