DS Smith Partners With Brrr Box to Deliver First Commercial, Sustainable Cooler Alternative to Styrofoam

DS Smith, the leading sustainable packaging company, has joined forces with Vig Pak LLC to introduce Brrr Box, a patented, 100% recyclable, biodegradable cooler that incorporates some of the most modern technologies available in corrugated cardboard packaging.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111005132/en/

Brrr Box is a 100% recyclable, biodegradable cooler. (Photo: DS Smith)

Named “The Official Cooler of Planet Earth,” Brrr Box uses DS Smith’s proprietary Greencoat corrugated moisture-resistant and FDA food contact-safe material to coat its sustainable alternative to Styrofoam.

Unlike typical plastic foam coolers, Greencoat is biodegradable, made of sustainable and renewable fiber that reduces waste to landfills and carbon emissions.

“Greencoat was launched 13 years ago as a revolutionary product created to survive the harsh poultry shipping supply-chain and has since been adopted by a number of other markets. Brrr Box is a natural extension of the product line that’s ideal for consumers looking for an eco-friendly, durable way to transport ice and cold beverages without the negative impact of Styrofoam,” said Melanie Galloway, sales, marketing and innovation director at DS Smith Packaging North America.

She announced the partnership today with Brrr Box co-founder and President Ed Battle.

Battle said the Brrr Box is an innovative corrugated beverage cooler solution being used by a major U.S. convenience store chain to replace Styrofoam coolers.

“The chain was looking for a disposable cooler that performed as well as Styrofoam, first and foremost,” he said. “They are also conscious of precious floor space in stores, and Brrr Box is shipped and displayed flat, so they can carry more inventory in a much smaller footprint. And, frankly, they wanted an environmentally friendly alternative as well. Brrr Box is the only product that does that.”

Battle said it’s not a single-use cooler. It opens and closes with one hand, assembles in about 5 seconds, holds a dozen 12-ounce beverages and 10 pounds of ice and can keep contents cold for up to 8 hours.

“It’s a multi-use cooler if treated properly. And the best part is instead of those Styrofoam coolers going back into the waste stream, this goes back into the circular economy and is fully curbside recyclable,” he said.

Galloway said Greencoat uses a patented process applied completely in-house. The technology combines impregnation and coating on the paper to provide durability and long-lasting moisture protection and temperature resistance.

For retailers looking to provide an eco-friendly alternative to Styrofoam, Brrr Box offers many benefits, including:

• 100% recyclable and biodegradable.
• Ships and merchandises flat.
• Accepts high-impact graphic printing.
• Reduces freight, warehousing and merchandising space.
• Compatible with corporate green initiatives and reduces carbon footprint.
• Opens and closes with one hand and assembles in about 5 seconds.
• Cooler holds a dozen 12-ounce beverages and 10 pounds of ice. Can keep contents cold for up to 8 hours.
• Made in the United States.

DS Smith’s purpose is to ‘Redefine Packaging for a Changing World’, and as part of its recently launched “Now and Next Sustainability Strategy” and commitment to a circular economy, by 2030 the company will use packaging and recycling to replace problem plastics, reduce customer carbon and eliminate consumer packaging waste.

About DS Smith

DS Smith is a leading provider of corrugated packaging worldwide, supported by recycling and papermaking operations. A member of the FTSE 100, DS Smith focuses on creating innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, using a closed-loop recycling model – in which paper and corrugated is collected, recycled and then used again to make packaging materials. North American operations are headquartered in Atlanta, with 13 manufacturing, paper and recycling facilities, totaling more than 2,000 employees. Using the combined expertise of its divisions – including Packaging, Recycling, Paper – DS Smith works with customers to develop solutions that reduce complexity and deliver results throughout the supply chain.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210111005132/en/