Porexpan, also known as expanded polystyrene (EPS), is a product used to cover certain products or to be a construction material. Around the countries of America it is known by different names, such as anime (Venezuela), poly-foam (Cuba), tecnopor (Peru), Isopor (Brazil), Icopor (Colombia), in addition to many others. One of its most outstanding characteristics is the fact that it does not promote the growth of bacteria, so it cannot rot, cover with mold or decompose over time. It is a fairly light article, resistant to humidity and shocks or impacts.
An industry has been created based on the need to cover certain products, considered fragile, with Porexpán. Household appliances are common items that need to be covered by something else, to prevent them from being damaged and their functionality may be affected. Containers and trays are also made with it, whose main mission is to house beverages or food that will be marketed, being practical because it is disposable. This resource is also used in constructions, mainly as thermal insulation, to cover ceilings and, on some occasions, floors and walls.
EPS can be of different shapes, varying in thickness, texture, size and shape. It comes from small polystyrene balls, which go through a pre-expansion process, to then be molded through a mechanized process. During its creation, non-renewable resources of nature are used, as is one of the processes that contribute to the release of chemicals into the environment. Even so, it is recyclable, creating objects such as blocks from it; but its final destruction has to be carried out, preferably, in an incineration plant.
