'RecyCoolers' could help reduce use of environmentally harmful Styrofoam packaging

As lawmakers take aim at hard-to-recycle plastic and foam, a California packaging company is introducing a new shipping cooler made of woven paper fibers that could transform how temperature-sensitive products like pharmaceuticals and laboratory reagents are moved across the world.

The introduction of the new “RecyCoolers” containers, which are made of recyclable paper and fiber, offers a sign that so-called “extended producer responsibility” laws are propelling a shift toward more sustainable products in the U.S.

At least 33 states have adopted EPR laws, which seek to reduce the use of plastic, Styrofoam and other materials that cause pollution by making companies responsible for their products’ end of life, and shifting the cost of disposal to producers.

More than 80 million tons of packaging trash is discarded in the United States a year, with only half of it recycled, and only 9% of plastic packaging recycled, according to the Product Stewardship Institute, an environmental policy expert and consulting organization.

EPR laws are designed to reduce landfill waste, increase recycling rates and curb the environmental damage caused by nonrecyclable materials. As a result, businesses face stricter packaging regulations that continue to evolve.

As of last month, seven states have adopted EPR legislation that specifically targets packaging materials: California, Washington, New Jersey, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon and Maine.

“As the world gets hotter, it makes sense that there is a call for safe shipping options,” said Katherine Tellock, CEO of the nonprofit Chicago Environmentalists. “It would be great if they would switch to completely recyclable items because that ultimately is something that can be continually washed out and reused, and is almost always less environmentally impactful.”

Last month, Container Consulting Service in Gilroy, California, unveiled the RecyCoolers, which are made of recyclable paper and fiber. The containers have been third-party validated to meet ISTA Thermal and ISTA Transit standards, which are qualifications insulated shipping containers must meet to deliver pharmaceutical products.

Other companies also make similar environmentally friendly shipping coolers. But CCS says its products use a unique technology that can keep their contents cold so long that they match plastic products in performance. Its patented design uses open-cell woven or nonwoven paper fibers from 1.5 to 3 inches thick between two interconnected fiber walls, so the resulting insulation can resist heat to a degree that matches expanded polyethylene.

The RecyCoolers can keep their contents frozen or refrigerated for more than 100 hours, CCS says, long enough to be used in long-haul and international shipments. And once they arrive at their destination, the curbside-recyclable, fully paper-fiber shipping containers can be transformed into other paper products.

That makes the RecyCoolers a good alternative to polystyrene, according to Tellock, of Chicago Environmentalists. A few months ago, she had medicine shipped to her that had to be kept cold, but it came in Styrofoam.

“I didn’t want that, that wasn’t good,” Tellock said. “If they could have used something that’s recyclable instead, that would be great.”

The impact of reusable shipping coolers could be significant, research shows. Materials like polystyrene and polyethylene, which are in most coolers, pose distinct threats to humans and animals because they are not biodegradable. Styrene carcinogens are released during production and use; the environment is polluted because the materials are lightweight and tend to fragment, and wildlife ingests the microplastic particles. Plastic foam made with those components can last thousands of years, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

“Polystyrene foam is particularly bad,” said Janet Domenitz, executive director of Massachusetts Student Public Interest Research Group, a student-advocacy organization that focuses on protecting the environment and public health. “It is far more lightweight than most other types of plastic, making it all too easy for a gust of wind to blow it out of trash cans or landfills and into the environment.”

Defenders of polystyrene argue that the material is more economical and uses less energy and water than comparable paper or fiber-based alternatives, due to foam's lower weight. The Plastic Industry Organization declined a request for comment.

But many U.S. lawmakers are considering bans on polystyrene products. In March, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, introduced the Farewell to Foam Act, a proposal to eliminate the sale and distribution of polystyrene products starting in 2028. In 2022, California passed a law requiring plastic and packaging companies to reduce single-use plastics, but it has yet to be implemented and faces an uncertain future.

The movement to drop plastic foam packaging is also spreading around the world: Dozens of countries, including Canada, Germany and Zimbabwe, have banned or restricted the use of Styrofoam, particularly in packaging and food service.

RecyCoolers were designed to work in concert with those emerging laws, according to Julie Yetter Simpson, co-owner of CCS.

“The versatility of the product plays a key role in supporting our commitment to environmental responsibility,” she said.

Yaniv Abitan, managing director at the international cold-packaging distribution company Insulpack Group, says his company has tested RecyCoolers and that they answer “a major environmental call to action as the industry transitions away from single-use plastics and EPS foam.”

“We recognize the urgent need for eco-friendly alternatives that don’t compromise performance,” Abitan said. “RecyCoolers is a signal where the industry is headed for domestic and international cold-chain shipping.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com