Which packaging is best suited for frozen and chilled goods?

Getting refrigerated or frozen goods safely to the customer requires intelligent packaging. This applies all the more to operators of online shops who want to use e-commerce to establish themselves as an alternative to supermarkets with on-site refrigerated departments. There are standard solutions and alternative concepts to choose from for the packaging of your refrigerated goods, which are based on the size of your shop and the type of goods. As a decision-making aid, we will look below at various suppliers whose protective packaging you want to convince regarding material, format and price.

The ideal packaging is the basis for optimally chilled goods

When choosing your packaging, the most important criteria are the goods to be transported and the target group. For example, if frozen or chilled food is shipped, physical protection of the transported goods is crucial in addition to optimal cooling. The classic insulating box combines a cooling effect with protection against other external influences and can be adjusted to the size of your chilled packaging food in various formats.

Insulated mailing bags are an inexpensive alternative if you send rather small products, which are already housed in protective packaging. Many manufacturers also offer standardized solutions and dimensions for these, and depending on the provider, custom-made products are possible.

Since the topic of environmental awareness is gaining importance for many online customers, e-food operators must consider the ecological character of the cooling packaging. If you cannot do without plastic as the packaging material due to the weight or type of goods transported, it should be completely biodegradable. Alternative concepts from modern start-ups offer you natural cooling packaging instead, for example, made of hemp with integrated insulation wool.

The Landpack company, in cooperation with the Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences, has just taken a closer look at environmental awareness concerning packaging when shopping for groceries online as part of a representative consumer survey. The result of this survey was that 92.81% of consumers prefer the more ecological alternative if it costs the same and there are no other differences in delivery times or similar. The study also shows that the retailer with sustainable packaging is always preferred by the majority, regardless of cost differences.

Different e-food concepts and service providers in profile

In addition to the basic criteria that refrigerated packaging should meet, individual providers on the market set priorities and offer you unique concepts. For example, consider the following providers when choosing to package for your shop:

Foodmailer – transport solution made from 100 percent corrugated cardboard

With foodmailer®, you opt for a natural and recyclable solution using corrugated cardboard. Cooling units made from waste paper and sustainable are used in packages of various sizes. You can simply freeze the packs you have ordered and take them out of the freezer when preparing a shipment. The precise cooling can be combined with advertising since the service provider offers optional printing on the outer packaging. The cooling solution without packs ensures temperatures of two to ten degrees in 24-hour shipping; the packs should be cooled to minus 18 degrees, and their thawing depends on the external environment.

Landpack - ecological solutions made of straw and hemp

At Landpack, you have three different types of packaging to choose from. The strongest insulation is guaranteed by straw packaging in various formats, and using hemp as insulation material creates a flexible solution. The manufacturer's mailing bags are also made from these natural materials, ideal for smaller shipments. Cool packs that can be filled with water and that may come into contact with the food are offered for frozen goods.

The provider does not use any chemicals in its products. Prices for the service are calculated without obligation on request for an individual transport solution. A big advantage of the provider is a full service, including packaging and cooling tests for your goods. In this way, you can be sure that the promised temperatures will be maintained during transport.

Ecocool – fleece bags for a longer transport route

The long-running favorite for refrigerated food shipping from ECOCOOL is the so-called isohood inlay packaging, an extremely space-saving insulating packaging made of PE aluminum foil that can be easily adapted to individual pack dimensions. There are currently seven standard formats to choose from. The provider ECOCOOL offers a wide range of refrigerated and insulating packaging. Since the beginning of 2018, he has offered the so-called "Smartcooler," an insulating bag made from 80% recycled PET bottles. The manufacturer has 3 standard Smartcooler formats available for your shop. The strength of the Smartcooler comes into its own when, in addition to goods that require refrigeration, so-called dry goods are also shipped, which can easily be combined with the smart cooler in one shipping unit. Individual insulating linings for entire boxes can also be made from the insulating fleece of the Smartcooler. The so-called Smartliners are only available on request, but the manufacturer plans to launch some standard formats in 2019.

ECOCOOL also offers the appropriate cooling elements for all cooling packaging. ECOOOL is one of the leading suppliers of flexible gel pack cooling elements in Germany and supplies, among others, leading meal kits providers such as HelloFresh and Marley Spoon, as well as a large customer base in the meat and specialty mail order sector. 

Storopack – versatility in various formats

If you want to ship a wide range of refrigerated goods at home and abroad, suppliers like Storopack are worth considering. Using materials such as Neopor or EPS, they rely on synthetic solutions that store cold significantly longer and are therefore suitable for transport over longer distances. In addition to the insulating effect of the boxes on offer, various cooling concepts, such as cold packs or gel pads, can be used flexibly. The sustainable and alternative principle of transport refrigeration is less in focus than maintaining the temperature if your goods are to reach the customer safely and edible for several days. 

Important considerations for shop owners of refrigerated goods

There are two fundamental issues to address when selecting and shipping refrigeration packaging. On the one hand, the warranty rights under the German Civil Code give the customer the right to receive a new delivery of goods if the goods are insufficiently cooled or assembled. On the other hand, for economic reasons and the establishment of your shop, it is, therefore, advisable to decide on a high-performance cooling solution from the outset and not risk bad ratings.

On the other hand, you have to think about returning the packaging. According to the current legal situation, you are not obligated as an online retailer to take back products, but this can make sense, especially for larger packaging that can be used several times. Perhaps you offer your customers purchase incentives or discounts if they send the outer packaging back to you. If you choose an environmentally friendly and 100 percent recyclable solution, the disposal problem is solved automatically.

Conclusion on the choice of packaging for your e-food business

Finding the right packaging for chilled or frozen goods is not easy when starting an e-food business, but it is fundamentally important. In addition to coordinating suitable formats and materials, it is advisable to trust the tests carried out by individual suppliers with their goods. Buying many packages from the outset that do not meet your transport requirements in the practical test is not worth buying. Competent advice from those mentioned above or other service providers in the industry is important. Ultimately, this should also lead to an individual, meaningful price comparison.