Cruz Foam’s Cruz Cool Named to TIME’s List of the Best Inventions of 2023

TIME recently revealed its annual list of the Best Inventions featuring 200 extraordinary innovations changing our lives. Cruz Foam, the circular materials company, is proud to announce that they have been named to TIME's prestigious list of the Best Inventions for its Cruz Cool™ product in the Reuse & Recycle category.

Cruz Cool is quick and easy to assemble, with a clean, integrated, patented design. This modern take on eco-friendly cold chain packaging is perfect for protecting temperature-sensitive products. Whether it's meal kits, fish packaging, or frozen food packaging, it has the same temperature control performance as its non-sustainable predecessors. 

Cruz Foam™, which forms the inner insulation layer of Cruz Cool, is home-compostable, and the entire unit is Certified Curbside Recyclable. The Cruz Foam is washed out and separated from the cardboard during the recycling process, eliminating any impact on the cardboard recovery.

As TIME’s own Jeff Wilser writes: “Styrofoam takes over 500 years to decompose – and yet we still use it for insulation. The Cruz Cool cooler, which can insulate frozen goods for 48 hours, is made out of chitin, a polymer that’s found in fungi, insects, and shrimp. But the real difference is how it’s produced. Typically, eco-friendly alternatives to Styrofoam come in odd shapes and sizes that flummox supply chains. Parent company Cruz Foam compounds the chitin with other ingredients into large flat pellets that feed into a partner’s current processing plant. That’s how Cruz Foam is already partnering with Atlantic Packaging, an industry leader.”

"We are incredibly honored to be included on the TIME list of the Best Inventions of 2023 for our Cruz Cool cold chain solution," said John Felts, CEO and Co-Founder of Cruz Foam. "Our beverage, seafood, and specialty foods customers have chosen our product for its performance, brand-enhancing design, and momentum in meeting their ESG goals. We look forward to continuing our mission to bring innovative regenerative products to market that support customer needs and enable a healthier planet."

Atlantic Packaging - Cruz Foam's Exclusive Cruz Cool Sales Partner

In February of this year, Cruz Foam announced its partnership with Atlantic Packaging, the largest privately held packaging company in North America with a focus on technical and sustainable solutions, to bring Cruz Cool and other innovative products from the company to market. Cruz Cool is available through the Atlantic Packaging sales team and directly via the New Earth Approved Catalog.

"At Atlantic Packaging, we are dedicated to activating life-affirming packaging technologies in order to create a healthier supply chain," said Wes Carter, President of Atlantic Packaging and Founder of A New Earth Project. "Our strategic partnership with Cruz Foam has exemplified this commitment, and we are incredibly proud to help bring the Cruz Cool cold chain shipping system to market. It is the culmination of several years of inspired collaboration between two very innovative and passionate organizations. And there is so much more to come!"