Hi-- I do use the white styrofoam beadboard for my premade shipping containers. Now I know that these other peanuts are made from starch. Generally, always, I've used the common styrofoam popcorn to cushion the deli cups within the premade box(es). I will replace the newspaper with styro popcorn to see whether that helps.
I was disappointed with the results of my heat pack test using two 40 hr heat packs right inside the smaller styrofoam box nestled within a much larger styro box with a cardboard box on the exterior. Like I think I said, the only hole in this system was a 1/4" hole on the top of the smaller styrofoam box. Elizabeth In a message dated 11/19/2003 2:36:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > Elizabeth, you're thinking of starch packing peanuts. These things > readily dissolve in water and are a great solution to the problem of > the space taken up in landfills by used packaging. I think Julie is > recommending the white styrofoam beadboard for shipping boxes. If you > look at it closely, you'll see that it is made up of little spheres > pressed together. The other stuff is blue styrofoam, which is denser, > harder, mechanically stronger and has a higher insulation value > (R-value). The white styrofoam beadboard is more readily crushed, so > absorbs bashing rather than transmitting it to the contents better, > while the blue stuff is better for the walls of your house to save on > heating and cooling bills! The beadboard may also be somewhat > permeable to air if it isn't very thick. > > Regarding fumes from styrofoam released by heat packs -- one advantage > of reusing packing peanuts, in addition to the fact that they're free > and a good thing to keep them out of landfills, is that they've > probably outgassed most of their fumes by the time you get them. > > Most heat packs work by the catalysed oxidation of iron (to rust). > This process absorbs oxygen. IIRC there have been problems when people > shipped big massive pythons in small boxes with heat packs, with the > snakes being injured or killed by not getting enough oxygen. This > shouldn't be a problem with small animals like geckos and a few holes > punched in the sides. > > I welcome any corrections to the above by the more > knowledgable! _______________________________________________ Global Gecko Association http://www.gekkota.com Classifieds http://www.gekkota.com/cgi-gekkota/classifieds.cgi gecko mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.gekkota.com/mailman/listinfo/gecko
