EPS is a widely used packaging medium for fresh fruit£¬vegetables and seafood to protect these products during storage and transportation between grower and market£®EPS packaging reduces the cost to consumers by reducing the waste associated with spoilage that can occur in transportation to markets£®
It is also used to protect fragile and expensive manufactured goods during storage and tran sportation between factory and consumer£®
For Australian made goods£¬the annual consumption of EPS packaging for agricultural products is 5000mt£¯year and 2000mt£¯year for other protective packaging purposes£®
EPS is chosen for these applications because of its attractive balance of properties£¬including thermal insulation£¬shock absorption£¬moisture resistance£¬light weight and suitability for food contact£®EPS has been shown to extend the freshness of fruit when compared with alternative packaging materials such as cardboard
