Top 3 Battlefields: Active Vs. Passive Shipping Containers
When it comes to active versus passive shipping containers, the top three considerations when determining which is best for your cold chain network are (1) total delivered cost, (2) product requirements, and (3) equipment availability. In the active refrigeration market, the competition is improving, but Envirotainer is the dominate player in market–making active refrigeration quite expensive as it includes the challenge to obtain equipment in low volume ‘long and narrow’ shipping lanes. Active shippers are extremely heavy even when empty. Bulk passive shippers or pallet-size passive shippers are improving their thermal performance and their durability as well as coming down in price. It is time to relook at passive pallet shippers again.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers are taking another look at passive shipping as a cost effective option and from a performance point of view. With passive shippers, more flexibility on the size and the design materials of the shipper allow optimization, while the active shippers are really one-size-fits-all. The flexibility on the sizes on your passive shippers can really make some significant cost savings.
Pharmaceutical companies and others, especially those with freeze-sensitive refrigerated biologics, needed new solutions. Cold chain packaging technology has evolved. These advanced solutions, however, have a high barrier of entry due to price. The high price makes reusable systems logical in terms of cost and environmental impact but requires careful planning of your reverse logistics programs.
Source: Cold Chain IQ
