Polystyrene foam from dock floats, food service, and packaging makes up a large percentage of marine debris in the Lake Champlain Basin. Wind, waves, sunlight, heat, and organisms can cause uncovered polystyrene foam used in floating structures and other products to break apart. In turn, small pieces of foam can spread, polluting waterbodies and the environment. Polystyrene foam does not biodegrade, and once in the environment, it can stay there indefinitely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unencapsulated VS Encapsulated Foam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Encapsulated refers to Styrofoam having a thick protective barrier completely covering it and protecting it from the elements for at least 10 years. It is also important that the hardware securing this covering is rated to last at least 10 years. These barriers are often made of thick plastic, but they can also be made of fiberglass or other durable materials. Foam products that are constantly exposed to the elements should be <\/em>encapsulated<\/strong>. Without a durable barrier protecting the foam from breaking apart, the foam is able to spread throughout the environment, impacting wildlife, water quality, and recreation. <\/strong>Vermont winters require homeowners to remove their floating docks from the water. The process of dragging a dock onto shore accelerates the deterioration of unencapsulated foam dock floats, making it even more important to have durable encapsulated dock floats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n