It keeps cold things cold and hot things hot. In any other world, it would be deemed a product with magic properties, fought over by governments across the globe. But this is polystyrene – and such is polystyrene’s versatility that nobody bats an eye.
Polystyrene – A mobile thermostat
Polystyrene boxes offer unparalleled insulation for temperature sensitive products. Without blinding you with science, the reason is they have an extremely low rate of thermal conductivity. It’s why you see so many of them piled up in fishing ports. Not only that but they add virtually zero weight to the operation, making them supremely portable. Chilled and frozen food couriers swear by them.
Environmentally friendly
Reusable, food safe, and water tight, polystyrene boxes are environmentally friendly in the extreme. Available in a multitude of sizes, they can be used to transport perishable foodstuffs again and again. Producers of meat, chilled pastries, and dairy products all love them.
Their well-known resilience, meanwhile, means they absorb knocks and bumps with zero or very little impact on whatever’s within. That is vital in fields where often it’s high-end quality goods that are being transported.
And it’s a box – so it can easily be emblazoned with your brand or message.
Versatile
Did you know there are people who use polystyrene boxes for cooking? Yes, really. Fill a polystyrene box with straw, slap in a part-cooked meal (helps if it’s in a pot obviously), set off to your dinner engagement of choice, and it will carry on cooking on the way. Don’t tell the power companies – they’ll be livid!
The box that keeps on giving
Even when they’re past their prime, polystyrene boxes keep on giving. They’re perfect for growing mushrooms, for example. Some people even use them as nest boxes for chickens.
This, though, has to be the best – store your kids’ Lego in them so it doesn’t make any noise when they pack it up or tip it out.
More surprising uses of polystyrene
We hope this short article has made for an interesting five-minute read.
Please stay tuned for more surprising uses of polystyrene over the next few weeks and if you have any queries about polystyrene and its clever box uses, please call the team on 01384 457730.