Mondi’s fresh food delivery BCoolBox freezes out cooling truck dependency

03 Feb 2021 --- Mondi is releasing an e-commerce packaging design for fresh food transport that replaces the need for cooling trucks.

Branded the BCoolBox, the corrugated packaging solution keeps food chilled below 7C for up to 24 hours using thermo-insulation technology.

The inner corrugated panels are made from 100 percent recycled materials and enclose the box from all sides. 

Iris Perz, external communications manager at Mondi, takes PackagingInsights through the design’s ins and outs. 

“Retailers are exposed to many new ideas and solutions when searching for cost-efficient and sustainable packaging for foods that require temperature control in the supply chain.”

“However, many of them are based on expanded polystyrene (EPS) or are multi-material solutions, which are mostly bulky in transport and storage or difficult to dispose of.”

“This innovative solution suits the needs of consumers, who demand packaging that can be easily disposed of,” she explains.

Mondi is offering to tailor the box to the needs of retailers interested in adopting the solution. 

Replacing cooling trucks 
Creating packaging that could rid industry players of the need for expensive and energy-intensive cooling trucks was not without difficulties. 

BCoolBox keeps food chilled below 7C for up to 24 hours using thermo-insulation.“The solution has undergone rigorous testing in Mondi’s climate labs to ensure it maintains premium product protection, optimal quality and freshness,” continues Perz. 

“The ability to maintain freshness implies that lower temperatures can be achieved if the maximum delivery time stays below 24 hours.”

BCoolBox is particularly aimed at supporting e-grocery retailers to expand to non-urban deliveries and improve the cost-efficiency of their operations. 

The temperature target and test environment of BCoolBox were based on researching the supply chains, pack sizes, time to delivery, initial temperatures of goods and outside temperature scenarios of several retailers.

“All of these variables impact the final composition of BCoolBox for each individual application. Our teams define the optimal composition and amount of cooling agents required for each customer project.”

Reducing costs during COVID-19
Meanwhile, Mondi is drawing attention to its policy of cost ownership – an important industry-wide issue. 

“When developing this packaging solution, we kept the total cost of ownership (TOC) of our potential customers in mind. All online retailers face the pressure of cost-efficiency, even more so in the grocery business,” says Perz. 

Retailers incur substantially higher costs when selling an online basket versus a bricks-and-mortar store. Additional charges for fuel, labor and time add a substantial burden to e-commerce. 

TOC is a financial estimate intended to help buyers and owners determine the direct and indirect costs of a product or service. 

Perz says the design supports Mondi’s drive to bring TOC into its packaging by reducing expenses associated with delivering fresh food. 

By Louis Gore-Langton