The outlook for PS and EPS

According to a recent survey conducted by British business intelligence provider GBI Research, global demand for PS and EPS is set to increase at an annual rate of 4.7% over the next few years, to reach 23.5 million tons in 2020. This growth in demand is expected to be driven mainly by the Asia-Pacific region, which could end up accounting for 63% of the total, increasing from the 53% recorded in 2010.
Over the past decade, global consumption of PS has declined slightly, whereas that of EPS has increased by 5.5%, mainly as a result of the increased demand from China, which, according to the forecasts, should go on rising. As regards the use of these materials, the main application outlets for PS and EPS are the packaging and building sectors, in that order.