This photo provided by the Korea Federation for Environmental Movement shows a delivery box with frozen water bottles.
CHANGWON, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Frozen water bottles are effective enough to replace gel packs used for fresh food deliveries, which are difficult to recycle.
The Korea Federation for Environmental Movement’s Tongyeong-Geoje branch tested the use of frozen water bottles to replace gel packs since early this year with support from South Gyeongsang provincial office.
The test results showed that 24 hours after being packed, the inner temperature of a delivery box with a gel pack stood at 21 degrees Celsius, while another box with a frozen water bottle inside had an internal temperature 19.4 degrees Celsius.
Forty-eight hours after being packed, the inner temperature of a delivery box with a gel pack inside stood at 22.1 degrees Celsius, while the box with a frozen water bottle inside maintained a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.
“Nowadays, deliveries are made within 24 to 48 hours on average. The tests showed that a frozen water bottle keeps fresh food at a cool enough temperature for 48 hours,” the federation said.
Commercially-used gel packs consist of a super-absorbent polymer, a kind of plastic gel, and a plastic bag, which makes it difficult for them to be separated and recycled.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
