Expandable polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid cellular form of polystyrene with good thermal insulation and shock absorbing properties, high compressive strength, very low weight and resistance to moisture. These properties of EPS bring many benefits, in particular to the construction and packaging industries. Building and construction applications are the largest outlet for EPS accounting for around two-thirds of demand. Large quantities are used to make insulation foam for closed cavity walls, roofs and floor insulation. EPS foam also finds uses in road construction, bridges, drainage, floatation and sound insulation. The other main application of EPS is in packaging. Food items such as eggs, meat, fish and poultry can be packed with EPS, which is also used to make vending cups and containers for carryout meals. The good shock absorbency of EPS makes it suitable for the packaging of delicate electronic goods. Polystyrene is a strong plastic created from erethylene and benzene that can be injected, extruded, or blow molded; making it a very useful and versatile manufacturing material. Expanded polystyrene is usually white and made of pre-expanded polystyrene beads. Familiar uses include and molded sheets for building insulation and packing material for cushioning fragile items inside boxes. Sheets are commonly packaged as rigid panels. Expandable polymeric bead or pellet material has been employed to prepare a variety of foam plastic products. In particular, solid, expandable, polystyrene pellets have been expanded for use in closed or open molds to form coffee cups and other molded foam articles, and also for use in preparing free-flowing, highly expanded foam pellets of a variety of shapes for cushioning and packaging purposes. EPS will remain the fastest growing of the major styrene derivatives, supported by ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption in buildings. The packaging sector will benefit from the increased consumption of electrical and electronic appliances by the growing middle classes in regions such as Asia. The expandable polystyrene market has seen strong growth globally, driven by the construction sector, with global demand growing at an average of 5.5%/year. However, extensive new EPS capacity has been added in northeast Asia, especially China. In Western Europe, the new building insulation requirements are boosting demand, offsetting the decline in packaging applications. China is the largest market for EPS accounting for one-third of global demand. The booming Chinese economy has boosted demand for EPS in the packaging of a variety of items such as consumer electronics, personal computers and household items. At the same time, the growing construction and building industry has ensured that demand for block flame retardant EPS, which is used in insulation panels for buildings and bridges, remains buoyant. There is a good future and market potential for expandable polystyrene. Few Indian Major Players are as under: Beardsell Ltd. Perfectpac Ltd.