How A Sustainable Cold Chain Can Be Established In Industry

By Cindy H. Cassidy


Special care must be taken in the transport of products such as perishable foods and medical vaccines to ensure that they remain fresh and safe to use, the mechanism of transport for this purpose is called a "cold chain" system. Manufacturers today must be concerned with not only the integrity of these item, but also maintaining a sustainable cold chain that makes less negative impact on the environment.

The packaging used for transporting goods delivered using a cold chain system must be designed to first of all protect these products from any harm and and maintain their quality, and at the same time, safeguard the environment. Examples of "green" packaging options include reusable designs, those made from sustainable materials, and those which are readily biodegradable. Minimizing the amount of packaging is also helpful because it means less resources are needed to manufacture it and transport it.

An in-depth analysis of the carbon footprint and the life-cycle of all packaging implemented in the shipping process is necessary in order to identify changes that need to be made if it is to be less damaging to the environment. Packaging companies can employ experts who will conduct such detailed studies and provide them with viable solutions where packaging options are concerned.

Cutting down on the amount of waste generated in the cold chain delivery process is another way to boost sustainability. Smaller packages which use less raw materials that can be packed optimally make each delivery more efficient and reduce the need for transportation.

If packaging can be reused, this also adds to the green factor of the delivery process. When the materials have the potential for cleaning and possess the durability required for reuse, they can be returned to the supplier for repeated packaging purposes. Finding a suitable material may initially be more expensive, but in the future it will likely produce monetary and ecological benefits.

The implementation of recycling can also contribute considerably to the green factor where shipping is concerned. When recovered materials are used to manufacture packaging this eliminates the extra energy needed to ship and process new material, cutting down on greenhouse gas production and space that would have been take up in landfills.

In some cases it is unavoidable that packaging materials will have to be send to a landfill, this is why the material selection is so important. Choosing materials which are less destructive to the environment and will not break down to release dangerous methane gas is critical. One example of this is expanded polystyrene which has the added advantage of aerating the soil to stimulate plant growth.




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