Cruz Foam, Santa Cruz, California has announced the launch of a new family of protective packaging products it says can meet specific customer needs for shipping fragile and temperature-sensitive goods for consumers and businesses. The company claims its patented compostable foam outperforms equivalent plastic-based products and exceeds current industry standards for sustainability.
The company says it aims for its new products to replace plastic bubble wrap, bubble mailers and plastic foam coolers to deliver superior performance while meeting customer sustainability requirements. The new family of products is powered by “Cruz Foam Inside” technology, a patented compostable foam the company says delivers maximum protective and insulative qualities and don’t “squeak.”
Set to be available later this year, the brand’s designs integrate fiber and corrugated paper to create foam-based packaging that can be recycled curbside.
The new products include:
- CruzWrap, a paper-lined foam product designed to wrap around fragile items during shipment, supplying scratch-and-spacing padded protection and thermal insulation properties;
- CruzPack, a foam mailer that the company says delivers superior padding and protection;
- CruzCool, a foam-walled cold-chain container designed to insulate and protect fresh, frozen and temperature-sensitive items, goods store-to-door;
- and CruzCrush, a protective product with a “block and brace” format for the cushioned shipment of electronics, appliances, automotive, aerospace, delicate goods and more that is customizable for brand-specific optimization and combines with cardboard outer boxing.
“There are two operating principles that guide our approach to developing Cruz Foam products: listen to the needs of our customers and follow nature to find the answers,” says John Felts, Cruz Foam co-founder and CEO. “We’ve seen ever-increasing demand from the world’s biggest brands for sustainable protective packaging that offers high technical performance and is earth friendly. It would be difficult to overstate how profoundly we can change the current state of the environment through the mainstream adoption of these solutions.
“For example, Cruz Foam can potentially avoid the release of 53,000 tons of CO2 over the next three years based on current sales projections,” he adds. “This is the equivalent of taking 12,000 vehicles off the road for one year, not to mention the potential reduction of plastic waste entering our oceans.”
The company has also announced that Wilmington, North Carolina-based Atlantic Packaging will be its go-to-market partner.
“Our partnership with Cruz Foam is a natural next step for Atlantic Packaging and our A New Earth Project initiative as we continue working to bring together the voices of ocean and water advocacy with brands and organizations that can make a positive impact within the supply chain,” Atlantic Packaging President Wes Carter says. “Atlantic Packaging and Cruz Foam share the unique position of having the resources, ability and underlying passion to drive the change that needs to occur to help fight the plastic waste crisis, and together, we will be able to make a lasting impact.”
In 2022, Atlantic Packaging formally launched A New Earth Project, which it says is a global coalition of athletes, industry-leading brands and innovative packaging suppliers seeking to create, scale and advocate for sustainable packaging solutions for brands of all sizes.
“We are incredibly proud of this innovative new product line, which is a shining example of the circular economy at work,” Sustainable Ocean Alliance founder and CEO Daniela Fernandez. “Cruz Foam has created a brilliant, nature-based alternative to harmful plastics, and their evolution into customer packaging will exponentially increase their positive impact on our ocean. It has been an honor to watch them grow since they were part of our Ocean Solutions Accelerator in 2019 and to support them along the way through direct funding, mentorship and even introducing them to their lead investor. We can’t wait to see what comes next.”
