Environmentally conscious or environmentally friendly: what’s the difference and what do you choose?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can no longer be ignored in corporate annual reports and sustainability has become a much-used catch-all term. This is not surprising, as almost half of the Dutch population indicates that they consider sustainable or socially responsible aspects important when making new purchases. Companies continuously make statements about environmental friendliness and biodegradable materials, but what does this really say? We would like to tell you more about how we see this, why we see it that way and in what ways we take our responsibility.

Environmentally conscious or environmentally friendly: distrust among consumers

Distrust among consumers of claims about sustainability is growing. Consumers prefer companies to work on sustainability in their core business. Donations to social causes seem to make less of an impression. This distrust is not entirely unfounded. Companies are increasingly making claims about environmentally friendly products, but what actually constitutes an environmentally friendly product? At Coolpack, we prefer to avoid using such terms. After all, (commercial) products are rarely climate neutral, let alone environmentally friendly.

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Coolpack: championing environmentally conscious alternatives

We strongly support offering environmentally conscious alternatives. And for each alternative, we are happy to explain why it is more environmentally conscious than the regular offerings. After all, a clear and specific explanation should not be lacking. As a subsidiary of Bunzl plc, we aim to have an alternative for every packaging product in our range that is recyclable, reusable, compostable or renewable by 2025. And we have already come a long way.

By environmentally conscious, we therefore mean that the choices in the production process are made with high consideration of effects on the environment, relative to the regular assortment. We therefore look for opportunities to use recyclable, reusable, compostable or renewable materials, rather than materials that are not. We will avoid using terms such as “green” or “biodegradable,” because just about any material can be degraded. The only thing that differs per material is the time it takes for it to break down. And perhaps most importantly, what harmful substances are left behind in nature. For example, plastic is degradable, but this process takes an incredibly long time and leaves behind substances that are harmful to humans, animals and the environment.

Element 0 °C 1,100 grams

€ 60,00 excl. btw

15 pieces per box

230 x 175 x 35 mm

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Sample Plate 0 °C 2,250 grams 1/2 Gastronorm

€ 31,60 excl. btw

1 pieces per box

260 x 325 x 30 mm

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Element 0 °C 950 grams blue

€ 50,10 excl. btw

15 pieces per box

195 x 130 x 45 mm

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So just because a material is “biodegradable” does not necessarily mean it is compostable. When we talk about compostable, we always mean industrial composting, certified according to EN-13432. This refers to composting in an industrial environment, not at home on the compost pile.

State of the art: environmentally conscious alternatives at Coolpack

We work hard to realize products that have as little environmental impact as possible. Classics that have been part of our range for a long time are the form-fitting cooling elements and EPP coolers. These products are made of strong materials that make them long-lasting and thus suitable for repeated use. But we are also very proud of new, innovative cooling solutions! For example, we have developed several alternatives to the regular gel pack, where a (partially) recyclable or renewable alternative can be chosen in both the foil and the cooler filling. Read all about the possibilities here.

In addition, we also offer the EcoCoolBox, which was recently awarded the NL Packaging Award in the Webretail category. This fully compostable and insulating packaging box is innovative in all respects. The EcoCoolBox is made of mono-material. The box itself is made of cardboard and paper fibers have been used to achieve high insulation capacity. Concrete user benefits? The EcoCoolBox can simply be disposed of with the waste paper.

We are also working to fulfill our social responsibility in other areas. You can read more about this on our CSR page. For more information, feel free to contact us.

Sustainability Coolpack and CSR

At Coolpack, we are aware of our responsibility to contribute to society. Both in terms of sustainability and society as a social body.

We weigh the interests of the customer, the environment and society, as well as ourselves as an organization, in all business decisions. In this way, we achieve balanced business operations and together ensure an ever better world.