‘Guilt–Free’ and Responsible, Single-Use Packaging, Providing a Fully Circular Economy!
Hydropac Ltd “We’re doing something positive about the plastic ice pack issue, as opposed to doing nothing!”
So, along with strategic, collaborative and innovative partners, aims at reducing the vast amounts of non-recyclable plastic waste from our packaging by introducing alternatives that are more environmentally friendly.
As a result of many years of research and development, EnviroGel® and EnviroIce® are:
- The UK’s first ethically responsible Ice Packs on the market
- The first eco ice packs in the WORLD that that genuinely solve the issue of environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging for the food service and pharmaceutical sectors
EnviroGel® and EnviroIce® use natural and renewable raw materials to be certified, fully compostable ice packs that have minimal impact on the environment, including our marine and wildlife. There are no sacrifices or compromises to the quality and longevity of these eco ice pack products. No palm or soya products, no virgin soil or deforestation involved.
Responsible Single-Use Packaging – But You Must Freeze Them Immediately!
Due to the nature of the compostable film (it will break down over time), the contents of the ice pack will slowly sweat/migrate through the film, at a rate of between 0.5% and 0.75% of the pack weight per day; this is to be expected, It’s a film wanting to decompose after all.
For this reason, we pack EnviroGel® and EnviroIce® in cardboard boxes and trays, lined with compostable green liners, as well as a compostable absorbent pad for safe measure, to prevent the packaging from becoming wet and damaged.
We have gone to great length to ensure this is a completely green and ethical choice and this is the reason why we haven’t simply packaged the product in swathes of plastic, just to get it to your door!
Preservation – Freezing
To preserve and suspend the life of your EnviroGel® and EnviroIce® ice packs, put them straight into your freezer; freezing them suspends the migration process until they are in use and have defrosted, otherwise the weight of the ice pack will reduce. The ice packs aren’t leaking, they are simply sweating the contents, as the film very slowly breaks up. But in ambient conditions, the ice packs are good to shelve for up to 2 weeks. They will last longer if chilled, and freezing them suspends the breaking down process entirely.
Certified Properties
Both EnviroGel® and EnviroIce® Packs are certified fully compostable according to BS-EN13432. As proof of such certification, they will shortly all bear the OK Compost and/or Seedling mark, which have been attributed by the independent test lab TÜV-Austria.
After a useful life as an eco-friendly Ice Pack, they go back to nature through organic recycling (e.g. composting). Whilst they are single-use, they are most definitely responsible single-use ice packs.
The compostable film used for both EnviroGel® and EnviroIce® is certified as an ‘Industrially’ fully compostable material. This does not mean either ice pack can’t be composted at home; it just means they will take a little longer to break down – but it WILL break down and it WILL disappear completely! That has to be better than the current alternatives!
Disposal
These eco ice packs can and should be disposed of responsibly. This is what makes them part of our responsible single-use packaging range.
EnviroGel®
The Gel mix used in EnviroGel® is our own, innovative formulation. This lasts longer than conventional Gel Packs by circa 12%, and more so the thicker the Gel!
This is:
- Certified food safe
- Compostable (industrial and home)
- Biodegradable
- Plant friendly natural fertiliser which compares favourably to industry leading plant food – Independent study has proven that it’s as good as the leading brand of plant food, it’s a miracle grow!
- Drain safe – will not clog your pipes or sewers like conventional gel packs
Simply pour the gel mix down the sink with a clear conscience, or better still, pour the gel on your plants, as EnviroGel® Is a natural plant food/fertiliser and is great for the plants.
EnviroIce®
The water used in EnviroIce® follows the same process we use in our Water Ice Packs. This means it is put through a 6-stage filtration process before it is then softened, chlorinated and UV light treated. Quality controlled samples of every single production run are then sent to an independent laboratory for microbiological testing.
Being pure water, this is also:
- Certified food safe
- Great for plants
- Safe to pour away down the drains
Both EnviroGel® and EnviroIce® can be disposed of either with local food waste collections or garden waste if food waste collections are not yet available in your area.
If EnviroGel® or EnviroIce® does happen to end up in landfill, they will still degrade to nothing. This will be in a much quicker time than conventional plastic. Tests have shown that the polymer used in the Gel has taken less than 6mths to disintegrate by more than 90% by the time it has reached the ocean. THAT’S FASTER THAN PAPER!
Eco–Friendly Credentials
Cradle-to-cradle through organic recycling
The cradle-to-cradle concept we are encouraging is discreet but effective; by using compostable ice packs, bags and absorbent pads to line the outer packaging box, these form part of a discreet cradle-to-cradle concept. Raw materials made from plants, used as energy from nature, which are then made into bags to help encourage people to recycle organic waste. This then gets composted and treated before it is used as a certified soil improver or in agriculture for growing plants – fully circular resourcing!
Compost is a valuable soil amendment; it improves carbon levels in the soil, soil health and porosity (including the vital ability for farmland to hold onto rainwater) and provides important elements for plants to build their structure (e.g. stems, twigs, leaves…). This is part of the normal cycle of natural nutrients that has existed as long as life has existed on our planet.
MYTH BUSTED: Ethical choices are pushing up the price of organic materials
This is nonsense; very little land is taken up growing bioplastic! From the 7.8 million tonnes of maize that the EU grows per annum, about 14% is used for the starch in paper and cardboard and only 1% is used for bioplastic. The corn-starch and plant oils used in making our bioplastics come from EU grown maize.
Demand in sustainable materials, creating ethical industry!
One important component of our compostable plastic is derived from cardoon seed oil. Cardoon is a kind of thistle, an endemic weed in the Mediterranean. It is grown for its seeds which are rich in oil. The plants themselves require very little human intervention; they grown in dry marginal conditions, are not used for food or feed production and require no fertilisation or irrigation.
Why is this used in our compostable plastic?
- Azelaic acid – a main chemical building block of our raw material – is derived from the seeds through biorefinery.
- Crushed cardoon seeds go back to the farmers to feed their herds.
- Leaves and stems of the cardoon plant are incinerated to create the electrical power that drives the biorefineries
- Pelargonic acid (a natural herbicide) and glycerol (used in the cosmetic industry) are also derived from cardoon seed oil
GM Free
Our Partners guarantee ‘no GMO DNA/organisms’ in their raw materials.
They also insist on a ‘Mass Balance’ from their agricultural suppliers to prove that the GMO free crops (which they pay extra for) were indeed grown and supplied to them.
