What is the current design now and what sizes are in the delivery program?

Hard Box: The current design of the Hard Box ecological insulation solution is a double-U solution, which means that there are two identical insulation inlays. These have 32x cellulose layers and a WP sheathing of quality 1.03 C as standard. By the way, the "standard" wall thickness is 20 mm, which in turn corresponds exactly to the thickness of a Styrofoam box for fresh food (0-8° C).

Below you will find the current sizes & delivery units:

There is also the green Hard Box solution for the frozen food sector, whereby the suitability was achieved by doubling the insulation thickness to 40mm - this also corresponds exactly to the "standard" wall thickness of an EPS/Styropor box for frozen goods. Following the current sizes:

Fresh bag: Please find below the three current sizes:

• Fresh bag "S" 9 - 10 liters ; AM: 30 x 38 cm (plus flap, approx. 15 cm)
• Fresh bag "M" 15 - 20 liters ; AM: 50 x 38 cm (plus flap, approx. 15 cm)

The Fresh Pads are currently not produced.

How sustainable are the shipments with the Freshness Box?

We are talking here about solutions that are either made exclusively of paper (hard box), or >97% of paper (fresh bag, enveloping fleece: 8 gr/sqm AIRLAID fleece made of polypropylene) and can accordingly be optimally recycled in the paper cycle - whereby no environmental damage is to be expected even in the case of improper disposal. We use recycled paper to further increase sustainability, and the low weight also makes transport more efficient. For this reason, our insulated packaging is particularly environmentally friendly.

What data are necessary to find the optimal packaging variant (hard box, fresh bag)?

First of all, we need to know how you want to ship your goods and what exactly should be shipped. If, for example, a high degree of flexibility is desired, if refrigerated and non-refrigerated products are to be shipped together, if the shipping time is relatively short (e.g. 24 hours), or if the products are flat, the environmentally friendly freshness bag is a good choice. In most cases, however, an ecological alternative to the Styrofoam/EPS box is sought - and this brings us to our Hard Box. Here it is important for us to know which wall/insulation thickness is currently used, how long the goods are to be shipped and in which temperature range. Most requests are for a max. shipping time of 48h and the fresh range (wall thickness: 20 mm), so we can offer our "standard" Hard Box. If the wall thickness should be lower, again for price reasons our fresh bag can be interesting. If the wall thickness is e.g. 40 mm (standard for frozen food), we can offer our frozen food hard box (= 64x cellulose layers, 40 mm wall thickness). However, it should be noted that there can be no generally valid instructions for use, since products to be cooled have extremely different temperature characteristics due to different densities, humidity, etc. - for this reason, we usually suggest a cooling test. For this purpose, we will gladly provide you with a sample as well as cold packs (or dry ice or PCM batteries for the freezer area), so that you can carry out a test shipment with your shipper (e.g. DHL or UPS), or a climate chamber test. At best, the test should be carried out in warm weather so that the goods arrive well cooled even on a hot summer day. Of course, a test with cooling loggers offers a better/safer result, but this is not a must.

Which variant is suitable for "only" keeping fresh and which for frozen goods (box/bag)?

Both the Fresh Bag and the Hard Box are suitable for the fresh area (whereby the cooling performance of the Hard Box is even better) - for frozen shipping, however, only the Hard Box designed for this purpose (64x cellulose layers / 40 mm wall).

How much buffer is planned for refrigeration in case shipping is delayed?

The solutions are designed for shipping over 48h, whereby a certain buffer is included - however, this depends in particular on the cold pack/dry ice application and the product to be cooled. The final cooling time can be increased/decreased individually, which is why this question can unfortunately not be answered concretely. For your information: In climate tests, we were able to maintain cooling for more than 72 hours.

What is the maximum filling volume so that cooling can be ensured by the hard box?

The general rule here is that the more the available volume is used, the better the cooling performance. In order to achieve the maximum cooling performance, it is therefore recommended to fill any cavities - very good results can be achieved with paper cushioning material, for example.

Fresh bag: is there a summer/winter version (different number of layers)?

There is only one version with 32x pulp layers, because our ecological fresh bag is especially designed for short shipping distances.

Which and how many cold packs are necessary and is it possible to ship without cold packs?

In general, the rule of thumb for fresh shipping is that approx. 15-20% of the weight of the products should be used in cooling elements (e.g. 1 kg. meat = 1x 200 gr. gel pack) - but this varies depending on the product to be cooled. Furthermore, it is true that the cooling capacity lasts longer with larger gel packs, because the "thawing" to the core takes longer. A refrigerated shipment without cooling elements is only recommended for a short duration, as active cooling (cooling packs) should be used in addition to passive cooling (by the hard box / fresh bag). Through cooling elements, the temperature in the cooler will first drop sharply and then slowly rise - without cooling elements, the temperature of the products in the cooler will rise constantly and directly. Please note that the gel packs should be in the freezer for 3x days before use.

How many printing colors are possible max.?

Hard Box: We can customize the outer boxes according to your requirements even in smaller quantity, or offer you printed (paper) tape with your logo.

Fresh Bag: Currently, printing is possible only from a contract quantity of 20,000 pcs. The additional costs are about 0,10€ / pc. (depending on print image), plus cliché costs of approx. € 1,000.00.

Where do our environmentally friendly Fresh Box solutions compare in price to the "standard" EPS/Styrofoam box?

Unfortunately, this question cannot be answered in general, since the small coolers are more expensive in comparison and, for example, the 40 lt. hard box can even be cheaper due to the flat delivery. But besides the pure purchasing costs, the minimized logistics costs (transport + warehousing), as well as the disposal should definitely be considered here - since we are talking about a pure paper product, the solution can be optimally disposed of and recycled in the waste paper. In general, a standard plastic product should not be compared in terms of price with a 100% ecological alternative, since other factors, such as the image you want to achieve with the end customer, should usually play a major role in the decision.

How strong is our frozen version versus Styrofoam and versus the other alternatives in the industry?

For the deep-freeze area, we have the TK Hard Box with a wall thickness of 40mm (64 layers), which is in no way inferior to the performance of a Styrofoam box of the same thickness.

How to achieve multiple temperature zones in one insulation box?

The temperature zones are achieved using matching 2-layer WP blanks, which are pressed onto the product in the hard box and which have a recess for easier removal.

How has the Freshness Box performed in practice with customers? What is the customer feedback like?

Very positive, so far we have received almost exclusively good feedback. Also in the last tests, which took place in comparison with the other eco-alternatives, we have always performed very well.

Below are two customer feedbacks:

The delivery worked out great, on time and fitting. The boxes themselves are super and did a great job "transporting" the delivery.

We have just unpacked the package - perfect! A decidedly exciting product you have there.

What is the best way for the end customer to dispose of the packaging?

In paper waste, so that the solution is recycled in an environmentally conscious manner and returned to the recyclable material cycle in a sustainable manner.