During January 2021, BASF, HIRSCH Porozell, and eutecma partnered to produce special cold-chain boxes for COVID‑19 vaccines from chemically recycled EPS. These boxes are designed to meet stringent storage standards—including maintaining ultra-low temperatures—and carry the Ccycled™ label to improve traceability. The initiative represents a breakthrough in using recycled EPS for high‑spec pharmaceutical logistics, a format where material performance cannot be compromised.
Because recycled EPS often exhibits degraded properties, the initiative uses chemical recycling techniques to restore polymer quality, enabling its safe use in pharmaceutical-grade containers. These boxes are slated for initial deployment in the first quarter of 2021, with potential extensions to food and other sensitive freight.
By meeting cold‑chain stability and quality benchmarks with recycled content, the project showcases how EPS can support essential logistical functions—even in sectors with strict regulatory demands. It illustrates how advanced recycling enables EPS to do more than insulation or packaging: it can perform in critical system roles for public health.
📎 Sources:
- “BASF og partnere skal for første gang producere medicinalkasser af genanvendt plast til Covid‑19‑vaccine” – EPS‑Airpop.dk (citing AltomTeknik, 15 January 2021)
- Follow‑up coverage in KlimaFokus, PackMarkedet, and DKnyt throughout January 2021
