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We are thrilled to announce that Cruz Foam has been included in TIME magazine’s prestigious list of Best Inventions for 2023. Our very own Cruz Cool cold chain packaging solution has earned a well-deserved spot in the Reuse and recycle category, making it one of the top 200 groundbreaking innovations that are reshaping our world this year.
TIME’s selection process is a rigorous one, involving nominations from their global editors and correspondents, with a special focus on emerging fields like AI, green energy, and sustainability. The contenders are thoroughly evaluated based on criteria such as originality, effectiveness, ambition, and impact.
In TIME’s words, the result is a compilation of 200 groundbreaking inventions, along with 50 special mentions, encompassing innovations like the world’s most powerful supercomputer, a game-changing entertainment venue, and unique creations that are changing the way we live, work, play, and dream about what’s possible.
Cruz Cool: The World’s Most Sustainable Cold Chain Packaging Solution
Our Cruz Cool product, often referred to as “The World’s Most Sustainable Cold Chain Solution,” stands out due to its quick assembly, innovative patented design, and eco-friendly approach. It excels in safeguarding temperature-sensitive products, whether it’s meal kits, fish packaging, or frozen food, all while delivering the same level of temperature control performance as non-sustainable alternatives. What makes it even more remarkable is that Cruz Foam, which forms the core insulation layer of Cruz Cool, is not only home-compostable but also certified curbside recyclable, ensuring minimal environmental impact during the recycling process.
“We are incredibly honored to be included on the TIME list of the Best Inventions of 2023 for our Cruz Cool cold chain solution,” said John Felts, CEO and Co-Founder of Cruz Foam. “Our beverage, seafood, and specialty foods customers have chosen our product for its performance, brand-enhancing design, and momentum in meeting their ESG goals. We look forward to continuing our mission to bring innovative regenerative products to market that support customer needs and enable a healthier planet.”
Cruz Foam’s Partnership with Atlantic Packaging
We are proud to highlight our partnership with Atlantic Packaging, the largest privately held packaging company in North America, which is renowned for its commitment to technical and sustainable solutions. This partnership has made Cruz Cool more widely accessible through Atlantic Packaging‘s sales team and the New Earth Approved Catalog.
“At Atlantic Packaging, we are dedicated to activating life-affirming packaging technologies to create a healthier supply chain,” said Wes Carter, President of Atlantic Packaging and Founder of A New Earth Project. “Our strategic partnership with Cruz Foam has exemplified this commitment, and we are incredibly proud to help bring the Cruz Cool cold chain shipping system to market. It is the culmination of several years of inspired collaboration between two very innovative and passionate organizations. And there is so much more to come!”
More about Cruz Foam
Cruz Foam is a circular materials company. We take pride in producing regenerative, earth-digestible, and certified curbside recyclable protective packaging products and other eco-friendly solutions. We offer a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic products, with our patented products using biopolymers to create a compostable material and specialty food packaging at a cost similar to traditional options.
Cruz Foam currently serves various industries, including consumer-packaged goods, electronics, appliances, and durable goods companies. We are a mission-driven company, and we are committed to creating a positive impact at scale by empowering industry leaders to be catalysts for a cleaner environment. Our headquarters are located in Santa Cruz, California.
We currently offer four cornerstone products;
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Cruz Cool™, our primary cold chain packaging product
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Cruz Cush™, custom protective “block and brace” sustainable beverage packaging
Cruz Cool™ is the first sustainable cold chain packaging solution of its kind. It allows contents to be kept cold for 48-72 hours using e-flute cardboard packaging encasing insulated boxes crafted from 1.5” thick Cruz Foam. This product is customizable according to customer specifications, and both of its main constituents are completely sustainable. Cruz Foam is home-compostable, and its encapsulating cardboard shell is Certified Curbside Recyclable.
Cruz Wrap™ is a world-first curbside recyclable and compostable foam wrap packaging designed to insulate and protect temperature-sensitive items during transit.
Cruz Pack™ offers thermally cushioned, curbside recyclable, eco-friendly protective mailers for fragile and sensitive wares.
Cruz Cush™ is a patented, compostable replacement for plastic foam that uses ‘block and brace’ technology to protect products ranging from appliances and electronics to automotive parts, consumer goods, and everything in between. Each product is designed to prevent waste from being diverted to landfills while offering superior scalable packaging solutions for a vast range of industries, sectors, and purposes.
Not only do our pioneering packaging solutions protect products and parts in an environmentally friendly way, but they are also making a significant impact in the fight against climate change and the pollution epidemic. Our products mitigate more than 17,000 tons of CO2 per year by replacing polystyrene supply, as well as offering a rate of biodegradability over 3,000 times that of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).
Moreover, our solutions divert an estimated 817 football fields’ worth of Expanded Polystyrene from landfills each year. By replacing EPS with a fully compostable and Earth-digestible material, our final product is comparable to natural organic waste.
Our products are also pioneering the future of waste, biodegrading into a useful soil and compost amendment that consumers can safely compost at home. Cruz Foam takes approximately 60 days to become usable compost, in alignment with ASTMD6400 and ASTMD6868 standards, and offers a 97.9% average biodegradation rate in soil.
This functionality encourages the availability of industrial and home-scale composting, which is further compounded by our collaborations with legislators, communities, and governments to secure a healthier future for all.
Contact our team today to discover the ideal sustainable cold chain packaging solutions for your enterprise’s unique needs.
