The Lobster Protector – WOOLPACK
In our previous blog post, we announced our Lobster Protector’s three brilliant wins at the prestigious World Packaging Organisation WorldStar Awards!
In this blog, the Lobster Protector and all its features and benefits will be explored in more depth!
For decades, polystyrene has been the go-to packaging for cold-chain delivery of live seafood. At Planet Protector Packaging we wanted to create an innovative and sustainable solution that could not only serve as an alternative but actually outcompete harmful polystyrene!
Lobster is a highly prized food for celebrations, weddings and business functions across China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Southern Rock Lobsters are only found in Australian and New Zealand waters, making them premium, exclusive, and a high-profit opportunity for producers who can safely deliver them live to high-demand export markets.
With increasing importance being placed on environmental impact and a growing global demand for ecologically responsible packaging, producers must now find packaging that delivers live seafood safely while not harming the planet. We worked with industry leaders to find out exactly what they wanted from their ideal packaging and used this information to create an ingenious solution!
There were a few design challenges to overcome at first such as; How to ensure the lobsters would have enough oxygen whilst travelling, how to provide adequate drainage for any waste matter excreted and how to make the packaging 100% plastic-free without compromising on quality or performance.
Tests were run in Asia, Australia and New Zealand and ultimately we ended up with the award-winning WOOLPACK Lobster Protector!
The Lobster Protector is the first-ever 100% plastic-free live seafood packaging solution consisting of just three key components: the WOOLPACK 100% wool liner, a fibreboard insert and a corrugated carton with a biodegradable water-resistant coating;
- The WOOLPACK liners are fabulous insulators – when exposed to ambient conditions, fluctuating between 4℃ – 25℃ over a 30 hour period, the WOOLPACK liners delivered better thermal, humidity, carbon dioxide, oxygen and fish weight loss outcomes than polystyrene.
- The fibreboard insert acts as a barrier between the lobsters and the wool ensuring they don’t feast on it or end up with little hairs on them.
- The biodegradable water-resistant coating on the corrugated carton is a new and industry-disrupting laminate that maintains integrity and strength even in semi-wet conditions, providing a sustainable solution that is kerbside recyclable.
Furthermore, the Lobster Protector has been specifically designed to control C02 build-up, absorb moisture (without losing structural integrity) and increase breathability which actually lowers mortality rate! Live trials using the Lobster Protector achieved a mortality rate of under 1% sitting well below the industry standard of a 5% acceptable loss limit.
Finally, the Lobster Protector is LEAK-PROOF and complies with all requirements of IATA for domestic and export. For added convenience the Lobster Protector is flat packed on arrival and easy to assemble, resulting in far less warehouse storage requirements, pallet movement or incoming deliveries. Packaging can also be corporate branded and printed in up to eight colours.
We have created an innovative environment for live lobsters to travel sustainably and with style to their destinations, arriving healthier and happier to attract a premium price!
To learn more about the Lobster Protector packaging solution you can contact us at enquiries@planetprotectorpackaging.com
