Not all supply chains are created equal. This is especially a true statement when relating expandable polystyrene and cold chain packaging. As our friends at the EPS Industry Alliance described, EPS can be utilized as a sustainable cold chain solution when used in pharmaceuticals, medical, agricultural and fishery industries. Each unique industry relies on the technology from cold chain to deliver quality and safe products to end users across the globe.
- Destination of the shipment and the weather conditions for those regions (extreme hot or cold)
- Reliability for refrigeration equipment in the storage areas, transport vehicles and at the point of sale
- Care and skill of the individuals handling the packaging
- Efficacy of a package and its ability to survive the shipping environment
EPS is an ingenious solution thanks to two intrinsic properties – insulation performance and shock resistance. In the case of pharmaceutical and life science products, it maintains product safety, security and temperature throughout the cold chain; lifesaving medicine and vaccines delivered around the world. It also should be noted that cold chain packaging keeps agricultural produce fresh for extended periods and eliminates doubts on fresh food products. Any break in the cold chain can increase the risk of decay and disease development; EPS has proven thermal performance, sustainability attributes and impact resistance. Last, but not least, is the positive environmental impact EPS delivers to the market. The impact of using EPS in cold chain applications far outweighs the impacts and risks of food damage and waste which would otherwise occur.
EPS manufacturers are invested in sustainability and the effective use of resources, using less materials and concentrating on efficient processing for production, distribution and disposal. These challenging behind the scenes actions have resulted in measureable positive environmental impacts.
For the complete story regarding cold chain packaging, including infographics, statistics and industry specific case studies, please visit: http://goo.gl/dke4DY.