'RecyCoolers' could help reduce use of environmentally harmful Styrofoam packaging

Laws that target packaging materials make the new paper-fiber product an eco-friendly solution for shipping refrigerated products.

As lawmakers take aim at hard-to-recycle plastic and foam, a California packaging company is introducing a new shipping cooler made of woven paper fibers that could transform how temperature-sensitive products like pharmaceuticals and laboratory reagents are moved across the world.

The introduction of the new “RecyCoolers” containers, which are made of recyclable paper and fiber, offers a sign that so-called “extended producer responsibility” laws are propelling a shift toward more sustainable products in the U.S.

At least 33 states have adopted EPR laws, which seek to reduce the use of plastic, Styrofoam and other materials that cause pollution by making companies responsible for their products’ end of life, and shifting the cost of disposal to producers.

More than 80 million tons of packaging trash is discarded in the United States a year, with only half of it recycled, and only 9% of plastic packaging recycled, according to the Product Stewardship Institute, an environmental policy expert and consulting organization.

EPR laws are designed to reduce landfill waste, increase recycling rates and curb the environmental damage caused by nonrecyclable materials. As a result, businesses face stricter packaging regulations that continue to evolve.