Traditional EPS foam does not biodegrade, it is benign to the environment and provides a stable fill material similar to earth, rock or concrete. EPS foam will break down in presence of UV light or sunlight. When protected form the sun, such as when used in wall insulation it lasts indefinitely and does not break down as other forms of insulation do. Our goal is to limit waste construction materials which is why the BuildBlock 1-inch repeating interlock pattern is so important. This means that you will never need to cut off more than 1-inch of foam to maintain connections. Most other ICFs use a much larger pattern and have a greater amount of waste.