I’ve often thought of using the scoured wool I discard before carding as packing material for my Etsy shop. It’s recyclable (just spread it outside on the grass for birds to use in their nests or reuse it in packing). It’s natural. It provides plenty of cushion for fragile objects. Seems like Abel & Cole in the UK has taken it to a whole new level. Applause!
From Ben Bold, packagingnews.co.uk, 30 September 2009
Organic food firm adopts wool packaging
Organic food delivery firm Abel & Cole has bolstered its environmental credentials by replacing its polystyrene-insulated packaging with an award-winning sheep’s wool packaging called Woolcool.
Abel & Cole, which makes approximately 25,000 deliveries to customers every week, has begun using Woolcool packaging boxes across its range of chilled and perishable goods, including meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.
Woolcool is made from British sheep wool that has been washed, scoured and needle-felted to produce a fleecy insulation material. The fabric is cut into strips and sealed into recyclable food-grade LDPE, which is micro-perforated so that the wool can breathe, allowing for a hygroscopic cooling effect.
Once used by customers, Abel & Cole’s Woolcool boxes are collected by Abel & Cole’s delivery drivers, and can be reused. They are also biodegradable and recyclable. Abel & Cole claimed the switch would save the equivalent of 87 40-foot trailers of polystyrene packaging every year.
Woolcool can keep contents below a temperature of five degrees centigrade for at least 24 hours, which makes it more effective than polystyrene.
Anna Chapman, Abel & Cole’s head of marketing, said: "We are delighted to be introducing Woolcool. We’re so impressed with both its green credentials and its performance, and it fits perfectly with our reduce, reuse and recycle mantra."
Angela Morris, the founder and designer of Woolcool, said: "I’m thrilled to be working with Abel & Cole, as Woolcool is such a natural fit with their commitment to quality, provenance, and ‘green’ credentials across the board.
"Such a major player making the switch also sends a clear signal to the packaging and food sectors that more sustainable solutions really can be the most practical and cost-effective option."
