17.07.2024
News
TemperPack produces recyclable cold packs for Marley Spoon, a Martha Stewart-branded food company
Meal delivery kits have really taken off since the start of the pandemic, and they continue to gain popularity.
Two years ago, the market for fresh food kits was valued at $7 billion, and by 2024, it is projected to grow to $10 billion.
What’s the downside? Much of this money is spent on packaging that keeps food cold. Much of this packaging is not recyclable.
But now a lot of money is being invested in solving this problem. Companies such as Thermosafe, Sealed Air, and Virginia-based startup TemperPack are inventing new materials that don’t end up in the waste stream.
“All of the paper we use to make our products is recyclable, and the starch we use, which is corn starch, is compostable,” says James McGoff, co-founder and chief operating officer of TemperPack.
TemperPack works with grocery stores, dry rations companies, biotech companies, and online pharmacies – basically anyone who has used Styrofoam coolers for packaging in the past.
“It’s very affordable, which means we can scale it up. It is very high-performance, so it works very well. Also, everything we build is extremely sustainable in terms of how we source it, how we manufacture it, and what the options are at the end of life,” explained McGoff.
Not only is the packaging recyclable, but TemperPack also places the machines that produce the insulation – which are essentially like 3D printers – inside customers’ premises, reducing shipping costs and increasing sustainability. McGoff says that just one of the customers can receive up to 40 truckloads of insulation per month, compared to four if they produce it on-site. So in a year, TemperPack can potentially take more than 400 trucks off the road for just one customer.
This has been a big advantage for Marley Spoon, a food manufacturer that produces products under the Martha Stewart brand.
“The goal is to save money at different stages of the supply chain. Obviously, since we manufacture the products in-house, we don’t have logistics and shipping costs,” says Dale Trigger, head of engineering at Marley Spoon.
So far, TemperPack has raised more than $200 million from venture capitalists such as Goldman Sachs.