PP Vs PS Vs AS For Plastic Housewares

The Three Materials You Will Actually Be Offered

Almost every quotation for plastic housewares comes back in one of three materials. They are not interchangeable and the choice is usually made for you by the use, not by the price.

Polypropylene, PP

PP is the default for anything that holds food, goes in a microwave, or has to survive being dropped. It is opaque or translucent rather than glass clear, it flexes instead of cracking, and it tolerates hot water. Almost the entire food storage, lunch box, basin, bucket and bin range is PP for those reasons.

Polystyrene, PS

PS is cheaper and gives a harder, glossier surface with better clarity than PP. It is also brittle. It is the right choice for a light duty item with a good finish that will not be dropped repeatedly or filled with hot liquid, such as a counter top organiser, a toothpick holder or a candy tray cover.

Acrylonitrile styrene, AS

AS gives the best clarity of the three with much better scratch and stress resistance than PS. It costs more. It is what to specify when the product has to look like glass on a shelf: clear cups, tumblers, pitchers and canister bodies.

How To Choose In Practice

• Will it hold hot liquid or go in a microwave? PP, and no discussion.
• Does the shopper need to see through it clearly? AS if the budget allows, PS if it does not and the item will not be knocked about.
• Will it be dropped on a tile floor? PP. PS will crack and AS will crack under stress at a corner.
• Is it a low cost impulse item with a good gloss? PS.

What This Means For Your Quotation

If you ask for a clear cup and get a very cheap price, ask which material it is. A PS cup and an AS cup look similar in a photograph and behave completely differently after three months in a household. We will always state the material for a reference rather than letting the price imply it.