DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - Jul 25, 2012) - Erich Brandt, Senior VP of ACH Foam Technologies, thinks wineries on the green radar need to take a second look at the containers their wine bottles are shipped in. WineLoc EPS wine shippers, designed to protect wines from temperature fluctuations as well as breakage, offer another opportunity for wineries to go green.
"Most of the critics who are rating wineries for eco-friendliness of shipping containers are only looking at the container the wine is poured into," said Brandt. "They've either forgotten about the carbon footprint of shipping containers and transit, or they feel it's too complicated to figure out," he said.
Brandt explains, "While corrugated cardboard containers have been considered by some to be the greenest method of shipping wines by the case, they degrade and weigh twice as much as EPS, which translates into more gas used in transit. What we used to call 'Styrofoam,' once thought to have a negative impact on the environment, is gaining popularity over corrugated cardboard by some eco-conscious companies."
According to Brandt, unlike other material such as paper, EPS does not degrade and will not leach any substances into groundwater, nor will it form harmful gases. Expanded polystyrene is 100-percent recyclable.
WineLoc shipping containers are the first to contain 60% recycled molding beads. The containers are made with EcoSix recycled beads that are made of at least 60% reclaimed foam from product that has been diverted from the nation's landfills. The EcoSix molding bead recently received the Green Cross certification for its 60% recycled content by independent testing laboratory, Scientific Certification Systems.
In addition to the 60% recycled component, ACH's Brandt explained that the high performance protection of expanded polystyrene reduces supply chain waste of goods broken or damaged during shipping and handling. EPS also has superior insulating qualities that protect fine wines during transit. WineLoc EPS wine shipping containers are projected to reduce material introduced into the supply chain by total actual weight of 240,000 pounds annually.
WineLoc also is offered in summer shipping kits that include frozen gel refrigerants and allow internal airflow. This package system, designed to meet ISTA-7E temperature testing profile, protects wine from the harsh high temperatures that often occur in transit during the summer months.
For information see www.wineloc.com or phone 800-444-9290.
