The Environmental Impact Between Reusable Thermal Shippers And Single-Use Containers

The results of a newly completed 2012 Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) research project conducted by Kai Goellner, IE/ME University of Minnesota, concludes that the Credo Cube® shipper imposes less environmental burden in all five impact categories studied. The five-stage “cradle-to-grave” life cycle impact comparison of the Credo Cube® 4-1296 (12 liter) reusable shipper to a similar performance (volumetric capacity/duration) single-use shipper clearly demonstrates that the durable and reusable temperature-controlled container utilizing a closed loop logistics system significantly reduces the carbon footprint of transporting temperature sensitive payloads, especially in high volumes.

The fast growing pharmaceutical and biological markets serving an aging and growing population have spurred exponential demand for temperature-controlled packaging systems. To preserve and protect these critical payloads, the logistic system must provide strict thermally controlled environments during transport to locations around the globe. Global temperature-controlled transportation systems such as this can significantly increase the environmental footprint of these segments of the healthcare industry.

The challenge for the life sciences industry is that in an era of ever-growing transparency and a need for greater cost containment; sustainability is an important corporate initiative for major healthcare companies that need to protect temperature-sensitive payloads while reducing the environmental impact. MTS initiated this Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) research project with the objective of analyzing temperature-controlled packaging options and to compare their respective impact on the environment.