As people work to stave off infection during the coronavirus pandemic, single-use plastics have seen a surprising boost worldwide.
Polystyrene plastic especially has risen in popularity. According to Bloomberg, two major companies that make polystyrene products, Ineos Styrolution and Trinseo, have seen “double-digit percentage sales increases in the food packaging and health-care industries” through February, March, and April.
Polystyrene can be made into hard plastic (used in toys, car parts, and take-out food containers) or combined with air to make foam-like solids (surfboards or styrofoam packaging). Like most plastics, it’s made from petroleum byproducts, so the dip in global oil prices has made it even cheaper to produce.
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