The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2020
Vericool's vaccine cooler held -70°C and then composted instead of landfilling
A starch-based cooler keeps vaccines at -20°C to -70°C for up to 96 hours, and after the trip it becomes soil.
Vericool
the move
Shipments of temperature-sensitive drugs used expanded-polystyrene boxes that held the temperature but then went to landfill, so the cold chain's footprint lived on after the medicine arrived.
Vericool, which invented what it called the world's first recyclable and biodegradable cooler, developed a compostable thermal shipper for COVID-19 vaccines.
It maintains -20°C to -70°C (or colder) for up to 96 hours using starch-based insulation, meeting ultra-cold requirements while being recyclable and compostable at end of life.
why it works
- The insulation does the cold work but also rots away, so there is no EPS to landfill.
- A 96-hour window is long enough for ultra-cold vaccines to reach a normal clinic.
- Composting the box removes a waste stream that regulators and buyers increasingly price.
- It works as a drop-in replacement, so the cold chain doesn't have to change.
what transfers
Design the disposal into the product, not out of it — the waste you avoid is a cost the competition pays.
what came after
Vericool's compostable and recyclable shippers were promoted for COVID-19 vaccine delivery, targeting -20°C to -70°C for up to 96 hours, and are also used for frozen and fresh meal delivery.
references
- A New COVID-19 First: Vericool Launching Vaccine Recyclable and Compostable Shipping Cooler
- Vericool introduces 100% recyclable and compostable shipping cooler for COVID-19 vaccines
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