'As the JR foods application shows, cost-savings and sustainability goals can coexist. Atlantic Packaging, a supplier of secondary packaging systems and solutions, partnered with Cruz Foam to add a lightweight solution for Wild Idea Buffalo Co.. Recently, Wild Idea Buffalo replaced its expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam cooler with the biobased Cruz Cool alternative for the direct-to-consumer shipments of its wild buffalo meat.
The alternative packaging material features a six-panel pinwheel design engineered to fit seamlessly within a corrugated exterior box. According to Cruz Foam, approximately 70% of any alternative barrier packaging is made from certified upcycled food waste, which can be used to produce compost feedstock.
“We’re delighted to see not only match the peak performance of our existing material, but the new material far surpassed it,” says Phil Graves, CEO at Wild Idea Buffalo Company. “So it allows us to have a better environmental footprint, but we can actually get our product to customers via ground shipping with far less dry ice and cost.”
Currently, the foam is added manually to erected cases, but automation is possible. "In the cooler space, there are a few companies working on solutions to erect a case, load insulation, and present packers with a partially assembled cooler," says Kyle Pischel, packaging engineer with Atlantic Packaging.'
Check out the full Food Engineering Magazine Article By Grant Gerke here: https://shorturl.at/WnNQv