Wool is a material with a long history, whose characteristics have developed over millions of years of evolution. However, it has been disregarded in recent times and substituted with synthetic alternatives. Wool is generally regarded as a suitable material in the textiles industry, or for home furnishings, and research on its advantages has decreased. But that has rapidly changed in recent years.
Wool is a smart, complex and very technical fibre, and due to innovations, such as Woolcool® in the thermal packaging sector, it is being rapidly adopted – across the globe – by Pharmaceutical firms to create sustainable solutions for the transportation of temperature-sensitive goods.
The goal of any insulated packaging in the pharma sector is for the content to be delivered within a specified temperature range, ensuring its contents remain viable, safe and ready to use. As a naturally evolved insulator, which can outperform conventional alternatives without requiring any synthetic input, wool ticks these boxes perfectly.
Based on over 10 years of research and investment by Woolcool®, many other characteristics of the wool have been found, that make adopting it as a packaging solution beneficial to the pharmaceutical industry.
Wool fibres are thinner, and outperform synthetic fibres, providing solutions which as more compact yet with a much larger payload space. In turn this reduces the amount of ice packs required for a like-for-like performance, when compared to polystyrene, as well as a huge reduction in storage and transportation space.
Another emerging benefit of wool in insulated packaging for pharma is its shatter and damage prevention features. Wool is flexible, provides impact protection, and also boasts incredible moisture absorption properties – it can absorb up to 40% of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet – meaning that products are fully protected within the box.
And then, of course is one of the most important elements in modern time – the impeccable ecological credentials that come with using 100% real wool in your packaging.
As the world faces the threat of climate change, companies are shifting to ensure insulated packaging for pharma are as ecologically-sound as practical, while not undermining the vital and exacting performance attributes required. Having proven it outperforms man-made alternatives, wool brings the additional benefit of being biodegradable, compostable, reusable, recyclable and abundant.
Given the other benefits of wool in temperature-controlled packaging – its cost-effectiveness, space-saving value, damage prevention properties and green credentials – it’s no wonder the Pharma Sector is starting to sit up and buy into the many values that using Wool can bring to solve these long-term challenges.
AUTHOR: Woolcool
