CLIENT BACKGROUND

New England Biolabs Australia is the regional division of a global life sciences company founded in the 1970s. The organisation supplies essential reagents and materials used in DNA and RNA research, synthetic biology and advanced biotechnology.

Based in Melbourne, the Australian and New Zealand team supports universities, research institutes and biotech firms with locally managed logistics, expert technical support anda commitment to sustainable operations. When the company decided to phase out polystyrene shippers in favour of environmentally responsible packaging, they needed a partner who could match their technical precision with equally rigorous thermal performance.

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CLIENT REQUIREMENTS

The project called for a kerbside recylcable shipping system to replace existing polystyrene boxes.

The packaging needed to maintain a temperature range of 2 to 8 °C for at least 24 hours, with weekly demand of around 300 units transporting biomaterials to laboratories and research facilities.

Because the samples were small and lightweight, minimising packaging bulk and weight was critical for cost control and storage efficiency.

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UNIQUE PROJECT CHALLENGES

The small payloads required compact, high-performance insulation to avoid wasted space and material. Standard cold-chain solutions were over-built for the task, adding cost and environmental impact.

NEB Australia also needed to validate that a recyclable alternative could perform as reliably as traditional polystyrene under real shipping conditions. The changeover had to be carefully managed to meet compliance and performance expectations without disrupting ongoing lab shipments.

Lastly, as many labs had limited storage, weneeded to avoid bulky packaging and supply product on a frequent 'just in time' delivery model.

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THERMOGARDSOLUTION

Thermogard worked with NEB Australia to design a fully compostable shipper using Clima Cell cornstarch liners. Made from renewable plant material and finished with a paper outer layer, ClimaCell traps air within its structure to minimise conduction and convection, maintaining a stable temperature inside the shipper. The liners were supplied flat packed to reduce storage space and transport costs while providing thermal performance that matched or exceeded traditional foam.

Additionally, we developed a customised 400 gram gel ice pack, precisely sized for NEB’s compact payloads, which helped ensure reliable 2 to 8 °C performance without unnecessary weight or material waste.

Together, we were able to strike a fine balance between NEB’s environmental goals, product integrity through extended transit, and streamlined operational handling for small laboratory environments.

END RESULT

NEB Australia became one of the first biotech suppliers in the country to transition from polystyrene to a fully recyclable shipper.

The new system delivered more than 30 hours of validated thermal performance, exceeding the 24-hour requirement. Thermogard also implemented a weekly just-in-time delivery program, ensuring NEB’s network of small laboratory customers received consistent supply without the burden of excess packaging inventory.

Development and validation were completed within four to six months, with full rollout following successful in-house testing.

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