Buying food and medication online is becoming more and more commonplace. And since these items are perishable goods, keeping them fresh and unspoiled is a huge shipping concern for businesses. With the right packaging choices, your products (whether they’re lobster, cheese, steak or chocolate) can reach consumers (unintentional pun, nice!) intact and ready to use. Here’s 6 cold shipping packaging supplies that’ll beat the heat and protect your perishable investments.
Insulated Shipping Kits
These guys are nearly an all-in-one solution for products in need of cold shipping packaging. Insulated shipping kits are comprised of two items: a white corrugated carton and a foam container. The cartons come pre-assembled and printed with shipping instructions including Rush, Perishable and This Side Up, making them ideal cold shipping boxes. And the insulated foam packaging containers are seamless molded foam bodies (with tight-fitting lids) that not only keep cool air and liquids contained, but act as protection against crushing or collision.
Paired together, they’re a lightweight packaging solution that’s reusable and recyclable. The only thing you’ll need to add (depending on your products) is a couple insulated cold packs.
And if you’ve already got the boxes, you can buy insulated foam containers on their own.
Insulated Bubble Box Liners
If a shipping kit isn’t available (or outside your budget or warehousing constraints), insulated bubble box liners are an excellent choice. The outline lining repels heat and traps cool air and liquids inside, while the inside bubble layer protects items during their delivery trip. Insulated box liners are formed in one piece and gusseted to make setup quick and easy. They’re also FDA approved for incidental contact with food and feature a peel-and-seal adhesive strip so they can be closed securely.
Insulated Bubble Rolls
As useful as shipping kits and insulated liners are, they’re not designed to keep individual products separated. Insulated bubble rolls handle that job beautifully—simply cut the length of insulated bubble you need and wrap your items properly. The 3/16” bubble provides reliable cushioning and the metalized liner keeps things cool while providing a barrier against heat, moisture and odours.
You can increase the effectiveness of insulated rolls by using cold temperature tape to seal any exposed openings. This’ll slow the loss of cool air and delay temperature increases.
Insulated Bubble Mailers
Corrugated boxes and insulated rolls aren’t your only cold shipping packaging options. Insulated bubble mailers are a cost-effective choice for shipping small or narrow items that still need to be kept cool (such as medications or deli samples). Much like insulated liners and rolls, the inside bubble lining protects products from damage while the outside layer helps to trap cooler air and any liquids inside.
Their lightweight but durable construction makes them both puncture-resistant and water-repellent. And as delivery companies now use the dimensional weight pricing technique, the low profiles of insulated mailers mean they cost less to ship.
Insulated Cold Packs
Cold shipping packaging can’t maintain a lower temperature indefinitely, especially when faced with potential delays in shipping times. Insulated cold packs will maintain the internal temperature of shipping cartons for longer, extending survivable shipping times by days. Made from food-safe and non-toxic materials that stay colder than unprotected ice blocks, insulated packs are sealed in leak-proof and reusable packaging.
Cold Temperature Tape
You’ve bundled your shipment in all the insulated bubble and cold packs it needs, but what about sealing it correctly? The adhesive on standard packing tape rolls can be vulnerable to extreme temperatures—cold climates can freeze the adhesive while humid climates can essentially melt it.
Cold temperature carton sealing tape is an extra layer of security for your products. Its adhesive is formulated to maintain its hold in both room temperatures or cold and damp areas. This makes it an ideal option for sealing corrugated boxes that have differing inside and outside temperatures (like your shipments that need to remain cool).
It’s recommended that cold temperature tape be used by the dairy, fish, meat and frozen food industries. Especially during extended shipping times or for long-term storage.
Keeping perishable products cool during their travels is essential. Dairy can spoil, meat can turn, chocolate can bloom and medications can have their effectiveness drastically reduced otherwise. Using cold shipping packaging like shipping kits or insulated packaging materials will give your items the protection they need to arrive at their destination both fresh and intact.
Be sure to visit the insulated category for your cold shipping needs.
