Thermal protection packaging helps frozen dog food manufacturer improve customer experience with more sustainable paper packaging
Ranpak Holdings Corp. (“Ranpak”) (NYSE: PACK), a global leader of environmentally sustainable, paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, has been working with a supplier of frozen dog food to optimize packaging for a better customer experience, not only thermally protecting dog food shipments but doing so with paper-based packaging, a more sustainable option.
More than two years ago, two dog lovers saw market demand for raw dog food – as a diet to improve dogs’ health – and developed and launched a product based on scientific evidence. The result was an enriched range of foods for all dogs of all ages, and a promise to improve the recipe further whenever possible. It proved to be a winning formula, with 30% business growth in 2020.
To continue with this success, one key challenge was to optimize packaging. Not only to meet their customer needs to get away from plastic, but also to reduce packaging costs to optimize the organization’s financial situation.
Frozen Dog Food: The Details
Packing and shipping of this unique product had several requirements from the customer perspective, including:
Thermal protection: The raw dog meat had to be stored at -20°C, with three different box sizes for different order quantities. Transit time was up to 24 hours on the road, so good insulation was vital.
Ease of use: Delivery within 24 hours meant fast turnaround; packers only had 30-45 seconds to prepare a box with up to 20kg of meat. A thermal packaging solution that is easy and fast to work with, was required to meet these requirements.
Sustainability: Customers buying fresh meat for their dog want to see packaging that has the smallest possible impact on the environment – especially a change away from plastic.
Cost savings: Direct cost reduction was a goal, in the context of high existing packaging costs using returnable wool-lined boxes.
The Ranpak Solution
Ranpak proposed WrapPak® Protector paper pads. These pads trap air and prevent heat conduction, creating an exceptional insulator for cold chain applications. The client first wanted to be convinced that these waved pads could match the existing plastic liner filled with wool.
An existing box was lined with the new pads, frozen food packs inserted without dry ice, and the box taped. After being dispatched to one of the client’s co-founders through the regular channel and left unopened for more than 32 hours, contents were still frozen – even at the side of the box.
In close co-operation with Ranpak’s local distributor in the UK, Ranpak then made further improvements to the boxes, adding dry ice as additional security. Finally, packaging instructions were provided to the logistic team.
These efforts achieved outstanding results for the dog food manufacturing, including:
Easy integration: The firm’s distribution manager said efficiency gains were impressive: “The WrapPak Protector converter is really easy to operate and the waved paper pads show a consistent high quality. My packers position the paper pads easily in the box, and the complete process was easy to optimize into our existing situation.”
Happier customers: The reactions from customers after switching to waved paper pads were summed up by the distribution manager: “The most striking one is branded in my head: BRILLIANT.”
Cost and sustainability gains: The green image made possible by WrapPak pads went hand-in-hand with high direct cost savings. Packaging speeds were high, and costly return shipments were no longer needed thanks to the curbside-recyclable packaging.
The dog food manufacturer commented, “Our mission is to save as many dogs’ lives as we possibly can! And when providing a unique, healthy food formula, we also wanted to support that with a sustainable packaging solution. Ranpak thermal packaging convinced me right away.”
www.ranpak.com