The Continuing Evolution of Polystyrene
When it comes to storing and protecting food, polystyrene (PS) has offered exceptional performance and low cost for many years. But polystyrene’s sustainability benefits are often overlooked. Materials such as STYRON™ polystyrene resins, offer excellent processability and a low heat capacity, which reduces the amount of energy required in production, and it possesses a good strength-to-weight ratio, which allows for downgauging opportunities.
For the last 25 years, High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) has been the material of choice in refrigerator liners. Early generations of HIPS liners required very thick sheet and therefore increased amounts of raw material. The thicker sheet also required substantial amounts of energy during production and shaping. Thanks to ongoing innovations in resin technology, today’s polystyrene, such as STYRON A-TECH™ 1175 advanced polystyrene resin, requires up to 10 percent less material, and delivers the same, if not better liner strength and stiffness than earlier PS resins. This also translates to as much as a 10 percent energy reduction in the manufacture and thermoforming of the sheet.1
Polystyrene is also common in yogurt cups, helping to keep food fresh by controlling air transmission and maintaining package integrity and top load resistance to prevent product damage and waste. PS innovations in yogurt cups have also led to reductions in material and weight up to 10 percent. And, when compared to non-plastic packaging materials, a yogurt cup made from polystyrene weighs about 15 times less2 – reducing waste and improving transportation efficiencies.
Styron’s polystyrene resins also have excellent recycling capabilities. Through industry associations like Plastics Europe, Styron helps advocate for the channels to recycle where it’s not already being done, like in Germany. And, Styron’s research and development department continues to push new downgauging boundaries.
Learn how plastics from Styron can help make your parts stronger, thinner, and lighter.
1James L. Throne, Thermoforming Handbook, Hanse Publishers, 1987, Munich/New York, p. 65
2Plastics Europe, EPD Report on Polystyrene, November 2008
