Arctic Glacier launches packaged ice in recycled plastic bags by Cascades

21 Apr 2022 --- Arctic Glacier is launching premium ice packaged in bags made from 51% recycled resin. The packaging will be supplied by solutions provider Cascades and is said to be an “industry first” representing over three years of R&D.

The packaged ice manufacturer’s shift to 51% recycled content packaging represents a 46% reduction in global warming potential impacts compared to the industry standard generic poly film.

“By using them [the recycled bags] in place of the current virgin product, Arctic Glacier can avoid the equivalent of more than 2,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year – the equivalent of driving a car more than 10 million km,” highlights Luc Langevin, president and chief operating officer at Cascades.

Supporting circularity
Arctic Glacier is phasing-in the recycled packaging, with several major markets – including California, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas, New York, and Missouri – already up and running. The ice company expects all markets and package sizes to be available in the new packaging over the next 12 to 18 months.

“Supporting a circular economy with recycled content packaging is an important aspect of our forward-looking ESG strategy focused on creating a greener supply chain and supporting safer work environments through ethical business practices,” says Richard Wyckoff, CEO and president at Arctic Glacier. Arctic Glacier’s shift to 51% recycled content packaging represents a 46% reduction in global warming impact against standard generic poly film.

Underpinning Arctic Glacier’s ESG goals are its partnerships with like-minded, ethically-focused companies and customers, including Cascades.

“Cascades’ expertise in [environmentally] sustainable packaging, combined with years of intensive R&D, has resulted in a new bag made from 51% recycled materials, with no compromise on quality,” says Langevin.

Sustainable Footprint Award
The introduction of the recycled packaging follows the Sustainable Footprint Award by Arctic Glacier’s energy partner EnelX, which is assisting the ice company in actively reducing its carbon footprint. 

To date, the company says its efforts to create a greener supply chain have eliminated over 5,000 metric tons of carbon and saved 510,000 gallons of fuel in 2021, enabling the growth of 5,557 acres of forest a year and the growth of 75,002 tree seedlings for ten years.

Meanwhile, Arctic Glacier is partnering with the global investment firm Carlyle to strengthen and refine its long-term ESG goals. Steve Hatfield, head of ESG for US Global Sustainability at Carlyle, says: “A strong ESG strategy is more than checking a box. Investments in actions and processes that support energy-efficient infrastructure, value inclusivity and diversity together with practices that enable better management of waste, reduction of operating costs, and attraction and retention of top talent, also help to mitigate risk and generate more prosperous and enduring top-line growth.”

In other news, researchers have developed jelly-based ice cubes that do not melt, are compostable, antimicrobial and prevent cross-contamination in fresh food packaging. The inventors are touting the solution’s “revolutionary” potential in preventing food and water waste, reducing carbon emissions and controlling the spread of pathogens. 

Edited

By Natalie Schwertheim