Polystyrene and cycling

When it comes to linking polystyrene and cycling we’re not advocating a polystyrene bike – although the lightness of the bike is critical when it comes to speed, it doesn’t want to blow away either.

Safety and protection

But, when it comes to safety and protection, cycling and polystyrene are a natural fit. As the big cycle races continue to be fought out across Europe, so do the unfortunate pictures of high-speed crashes plague our TV screens. Make no mistake, this is a hard sport with the propensity to throw its participants at speed to the ground, into walls, road furniture, ditches or worse.

A sturdy helmet is clearly an absolute must. The sheer unpredictability of how an accident might happen and subsequently pan out means every precaution must be taken.

Polystyrene and helmets

Polystyrene within the helmet plays a vital and potentially life-saving role. A helmet works in three basic ways – by spreading the impact over a wider area rather than a single point on the head, acting as a barrier between the head and the road/wall/back windscreen of a car, and lastly allowing the skull to slow down in a controlled manner in a very restrictive space rather than suffer the severe shock of impact – shock which can damage the brain and lead to skull fractures.

Protection for all

These kind of benefits should be available to all cyclists, not just the elite. And that’s where polystyrene has another safety benefit – it’s cheap. A less highly priced helmet will offer a great level of protection, just like its more expensive sisters on the shelves whose price is likely to be rather more dependent on aesthetics of design.

Manufacturing polystyrene helmets

Polystyrene helmet liners originally arrive at the manufacturer as loose pellets before being treated with seriously hot blasts of steam of up to 200° in order to pack as many as possible into a mould which will bond them together. A variety of materials, generally in mesh form, are then used for reinforcement. All helmets are put through a rigorous testing procedure to receive the required quality kitemark.

It is this structure of both helmet and construction process that has led to polystyrene keeping cyclists safe for years and years.

For all your polystyrene queries and needs, talk to Vertapak about how we can help – call 01384 457730.

 

Polystyrene makes a boat a home

We see it more and more – people living on water. And not just in rural areas. in London alone, an estimated 10,000 people now live on around 100 miles of the city’s waterways.

The appeal? Well, living on water delivers a sense of freedom in even the most tightly packed and built-up of areas. Indeed, houseboats in sought after locations in the capital can fetch up to £2 million.

Most owners, however, live in more humble surroundings. Not that they mind, the beauty of a narrowboat is its cosiness, its sense of being a self-contained little world. It is becoming the retirement dream of more and more to own one.

To hull and back

We all know that polystyrene floats, but can we really use it for something as substantial as a houseboat? Well, yes. Polystyrene has proved the perfect solution for manufacturing modern houseboat hulls.

Not only can polystyrene be easily shaped, but it is cheap, lightweight, offers  exceptional thermal and flotation performance and does not rot, mould or decay.

Even if polystyrene becomes wet, it has very low absorption. It is never going to become waterbound and heavy even if the hull is breached. It delivers protection against such catastrophe, and with it peace of mind. It’s lightness, meanwhile, means that fuel consumption is reduced. It is a greener solution all round.

A long-term answer

Polystyrene’s characteristics clearly make it an ideal material for long-term performance in marine use. But what happens when that boat eventually, inevitably, reaches the end of its life. Well, the polystyrene can be recycled.

Of course, polystyrene’s relationship with the waterways is well established. It has long been used in  buoyancy aids ranging from simple buoyancy blocks to ‘man overboard’ stretchers and cradles.  If its buoyancy and life-saving properties work in the swimming pool, they are going to work elsewhere. Taking polystyrene to the nation’s waterways is a move that will pay dividends.

Buying a houseboat

Fancy buying a houseboat? You might have to save for a few years first. If the dream does come true, just remember what might well be keeping you afloat beneath your feet.

  • We hope you have found this article informative and interesting.

For all your polystyrene queries and needs, contact Vertapak.

 

Polystyrene is the homeowner’s friend

Home building has massively moved on in recent years. The modern home is built with energy conservation in mind – and this is where polystyrene comes to the fore, saving families thousands on utility bills while offering protection to the environment too.

Polystyrene – a popular material

Polystyrene is one of the most popular materials used for roofing, plumbing, and insulation in the building industry. And there are reasons why so many in the construction industry swear by it. For instance, when applied with reinforced concrete, polystyrene provides protection against harsh environments.

Blocks of polystyrene, meanwhile, are used as an energy efficient model for both industrial units and homes, preventing drafts and maintaining temperature. The effects on domestic and industrial energy consumption can, put simply, be astonishing. 

Polystyrene offers a design bonus for the homeowner

Not only that but expanded polystyrene (EPS) lends itself to the design and structural integrity of many building projects, an ideal choice for green building design, offering tangible environmental advantages. Polystyrene can cover wall cavities, increase resistance to heat transference, and also offer moisture protection.

Insulating Concrete Forms are another case in point. Here we have hollow polystyrene structures, erected at the construction site, then filled with five or six inches of reinforced concrete and left in place. As well as the strength of the concrete, we now have inbuilt insulation too, translating to greater energy efficiency and that ever important peace and quiet!

In the roof space, meanwhile, EPS offers not just insulation but effective water resistance. It is ready and waiting whatever the weather conditions.

A long-term comfort aid

It is not always easy to imagine when seeing the sheer complexity of the building site that the ultimate goal is to deliver long-term living comfort, and yet every step, many of them involving polystyrene, is designed exactly that way.

Homes built with polystyrene at the heart of their being are not hard to tell. They feel warm, snug, quiet and comfortable. They are built with the occupants in mind and are enjoyed, by householders across the globe, accordingly.

A clear conscience

Those same homeowners can enjoy their homes with a clear conscience -the energy required to make polystyrene is more favourable than many alternative materials.

When it comes to home building, polystyrene is our friend. For all your polystyrene queries and needs, give us a call today on 01384 457730.

 

Polystyrene – creative as well as functional

Polystyrene is often seen as a purely functional material, with uses in the packing, preserving, and insulating industries.

But look beneath some of the most pretty, poignant, and pertinent of decorative or commemorative items and it soon becomes apparent that this most versatile of materials plays a vital role.

Polystyrene wreaths

No better illustrated is this than with the example of wreaths. Here we have a major cottage industry, with hobbyists enjoying making wreaths for a huge variety of occasions, including Christmas and Halloween.

Ease of decoration

Of course, few would consider polystyrene to be ideal as a material to be on show in decorative terms. It’s beauty, however, is the ease with which the prettiest of decorations – flowers, leaves, feathers, even craft items such as pom-poms (ideal for a winter effect) can be attached.

Add in it’s virtual weightlessness, and polystyrene is the perfect substance for a temporary or, indeed, permanent, wall hanging, not to mention unobtrusive but singularly appealing table centrepiece.

Personal and poignant

Let us not forget also that wreaths are intensely personal and poignant items left as signals of commemoration on memorials across the country, be they marks of respect to those lost in conflict or in tragedies. Similarly, floral wreaths are a centrepoint of many funeral corteges.

In the past, the ability to fashion their own wreaths was out of many people’s hands. Now the easy availability of polystyrene bases means thousands every year are able to pay tribute in the most personal of ways, creating an image pertinent to an event or loved-one.

The craft economy and polystyrene

Make no mistake, polystyrene is yet again adding significant value to an area of the UK economy. The Craft Intelligence Report, released in conjunction with the Craft & Hobby Association UK, reveals that home crafting is an area worth an estimated £3.4 billion. Some 69% of British females participate in at least one craft per year, amounting to 18.3 million women.

Much of that increase is down to the easy availability of basic materials, polystyrene being a case in point.

Get hold of some and let your creative imagination soar to new and unexplored areas.

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.

Meanwhile, for all your polystyrene queries and needs, please give the team at Vertapak a call today.

Polystyrene and Bees – Really?

It may seem an odd fit to talk about polystyrene and bees in the same sentence. And yet, across Europe the vast majority of hives now sold are made from the substance of polystyrene, supporting thousands of colonies and millions of these valuable insects, which support the world and keep humanity alive.

Why polystyrene for bees?

Well, just think about weight for a start. Traditionally, hives are made of cedar wood, which is great as a sturdy assembly, but what happens when it comes to moving or storing these structures? They are heavy and unmanageable (remember that many beekeepers have several hives) and make for backbreaking work. Polystyrene removes the unwieldy element due to its lightweight composition, while maintaining all the home comforts for our black and yellow friends.

Creating warmth for bees

And there we move to another key benefit – warmth. Many wooden beehives only offer a thin barrier between themselves and an often chilly outside world. Wooden hives may seem natural but they rarely mimic the thickness of a bee’s natural home, such as a tree trunk.

Insulation is vital, and polystyrene offers it in abundance. In fact, because of this insulation, bees in polystyrene hives often have a longer season, emerging up to a month sooner than other broods – and from a larger nest.

What’s the cost of a polystyrene beehive?

Generally, a polystyrene hive is about half the price of a wooden hive, and has the potential to last a lot longer in what can be testing outdoor conditions.

Polystyrene hives do not rot or need slathering in preservative making the dampness that so often can be the downfall of bees, repelled. Made of toughened polystyrene, the hives can be expected to last upwards of 30 years. Do not fear they’ll blow over in the wind because polystyrene hives come with straps to tether them down, making them just as secure in any weather.

What’s the environmental cost of a polystyrene beehive?

Polystyrene is recyclable and, with a long life, exists as a sustainable substance in its own right. No-one knowingly wishes to damage the environment and polystyrene is a friend of the bee, not the enemy.

But aren’t they ugly?

Far from it. Polystyrene hives are designed to be easy on the eye. In fact, from a distance, it’s hard to tell the difference. Polystyrene hives can also be painted to fit in with their surroundings whether a city rooftop dwelling or at one with countryside nature.

Like the bees, you’ll never know the difference. Just look at the evidence here.

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.
Meanwhile, for all your polystyrene queries and needs, contact us here.

Using polystyrene to transport perishable food

Polystyrene PackagingThe health market is flourishing and despite the parallel crisis with obesity and convenience foods, consumers love their fresh produce and vitamin nutrient packed foods. But it can be a tough call to grow, pick, prepare, pack and deliver healthy edible foods, which are often perishable and need suitable protective transportation to prevent damage and maintain consistent temperatures.

Introducing polystyrene to transport perishable food

Polystyrene is a cost effective material that can manage the requirements of protection and temperature control when it comes to fresh food sources. Polystyrene packaging can keep cool things cool and warm things warm due to its excellent insulation properties and extremely low rate of thermal conductivity. This enables the temperature inside polystyrene packaging or boxes to remain stable even if outside temperatures fluctuate.

The material is lightweight yet sturdy offering much-needed protective properties to carry foods subject to bruising, cracking and squashing.

Polystyrene boxes and containers are watertight and provide a barrier against oxygen and vapour that can spoil food. Available in an array of sizes, polystyrene packaging is perfect for manufacturers of meat, chilled foods, and dairy products that have a limited shelf life. Plus, the packaging is reusable.

Friendly to the environment and sterile

Expanded polystyrene is clean and uncontaminated and is approved for direct contact with food making it ideal for transportation containers – either as boxes, trays or to line refrigerated units.

Everyone is under pressure to commit to protecting our natural environment so it’s comforting to know that polystyrene can be recycled. It’s made up of 98% air with zero destructive chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) gases.

Learn more about polystyrene packaging benefits

VertaPak offers a consultancy service to advice customers of the benefits of polystyrene and how it can be adapted for almost any industry.

Please feel free to call the team on 01384 457 730 or email us here for more information.

POLYSTYRENE AND SPORT

Hang on. Polystyrene and sport? Really?

Well, yes. Don’t forget sport, by its very nature, is often high impact. None of us want to come home from what is ostensibly meant to be a pleasurable exercise covered in bruises – or worse. And so polystyrene has long had a part to play in the sporting sphere. When it comes to safety, polystyrene delivers a vital role.

Polystyrene and Rugby

Take a look at the average rugby pitch. It has a set of rigid, often wooden or steel, posts at each end. Now imagine clattering into them at speed, possibly pushed into them with force by a 20-stone member of the opposition. It’s going to hurt.

That’s why, more often than not, we see rugby posts cushioned by wraparound polystyrene foam barriers. They are not there because, as some might claim, “rugby has turned soft”. They are there because, perfectly reasonably, most men would rather not go home in a wheelchair. Similarly, they have probably got a deep affection for their teeth.

Polystyrene and Cricket

Cricket is another sport with high impact potential. Ever had a hard package of leather and cork fired at you at speed and you will know why. Cricket balls hurt. They leave a lasting impression in the tenderest of places. Polystyrene has long been used to soak up the momentum of the ball, with specially designed protectors for thigh and arm.

Polystyrene and Cycling

Of course, sport will always carry an element of risk, but polystyrene has been key to minimising many of them as much as possible. Cycling helmets are a (potentially life-saving) case in point. Polystyrene crushes slowly on impact and thus slows the head gradually. It also has limited bounce back, protecting the neck and spine from whiplash injuries.

Cyclists also have very little desire to ride around with a diving helmet on their head and a polystyrene-lined helmet meets all the requirements of lightness and comfort.

Safety first

Easy to see then why polystyrene has been so welcomed by the sporting industry. Professional or leisure sportsperson, we all deserve to be safe. Polystyrene has been a major step forward in meeting that guarantee.

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 or contact us to discuss your needs.

What happens to polystyrene packaging after Christmas?

Protective PackagingLight and mouldable, polystyrene is the perfect way to package delicate, expensive, odd-shaped, bulky, or compact goods. That’s why, at Christmas, polystyrene really comes to the fore. It’s lack of weight means it adds very little to postage costs, while at the same time guaranteeing that goods arrive efficiently and undamaged.

But what happens to all that polystyrene? Many assume it cannot be reused, but in fact polystyrene is a growing part of the recycling sector.  Think about it – it’s 98 per cent air. It may look bulky, but in fact it’s ideal for a quick and simple turnaround into something new. 

A simple and easy process

Recycling polystyrene makes sense. In its existing airy form, it takes up room in traditional landfill. Instead it can be turned, within days, into packaging or even shrinkwrap.

While businesses which use polystyrene have long been aware of the benefits of recycling, more and more local authorities are coming around to the same way of thinking. The government too is keen to press home the advantages of polystyrene recycling. In the meantime, there are plenty of private recyclers happy to take polystyrene.

Green credentials

The increase in recycling only adds to polystyrene’s green credentials. Its lightness, for instance, means it is a resource efficient packaging material with a small carbon footprint.

Its lightness helps to reduce fuel consumption when goods are being transported and reduces wastage caused by goods broken or damaged in the supply chain.

As recycling facilities and technology continue to improve, polystyrene’s position as a viable and friendly substance will be cemented for years to come.

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 are looking to explore the possibilities of polystyrene please feel free to contact us on 01384 457730.

Polystyrene – it’s more festive than you might think

OK, Christmas is on the horizon. We’re all looking to give our homes that something little bit extra on the décor front. At this point we could be forgiven for not immediately thinking of polystyrene, but perhaps we should. This versatile and lightweight material is in fact perfect when it comes to bringing a little bit of the North Pole into your house – with the added bonus that none of it is going to melt on the carpet.

Snowflakes and stars

Those in the know have long been Chrimbo-ing up their homes with polystyrene snowflakes and stars, some on a giant scale (weight, remember is no bar), as well as polystyrene wreaths (easy to pin holly and berries to) and pointy polystyrene cones to give that proper shivery, icy look.  

Indeed, some wise individuals have only just put away the polystyrene Halloween pumpkins when they’re back in the cupboard fetching the polystyrene Christmas decorations out!

Get the kids involved

From the starting point of a blank polystyrene star or snowflake, children can add their own designs – glitters, ribbons, lollipops, you name it. Sounds better than just collecting ready-made decorations, doesn’t it? Often, homemade ornaments become festive favourites, put on display year after year, a reminder of happy Christmases gone by – memories of fun times.

Commercial opportunities for festive polystyrene

On a larger, commercial scale, vast polystyrene balls offer great display or promotional opportunities. Imagine a huge glittery sphere hanging centre stage in your business. Smaller spheres, meanwhile, make the perfect snowball substitute – a bit of wow factor when a customer walks through the door.

Make polystyrene your festive friend

Christmas is a brilliant time of glimmering festive magic. Remember your best friend to make that happen – polystyrene.

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 are looking to explore the possibilities of polystyrene for Christmas please feel free to contact us on 01384 457730.

Polystyrene Boxing Clever

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.