At Once Upon a Farm, we take pride in delivering fresh-tasting, high-quality products right to your door. Each delivery of refrigerated items includes enough ice packs to preserve product quality and food safety of our cold-pressed pouches and bars. Still, these can really add up! So, beyond just tossing them in the trash, what can you do with all those ice packs?

We take a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle approach. Did you know the three Rs are in that order because they reflect the most effective priorities for managing materials? First, by reducing waste, then reusing what we can, and finally recycling.

1. Reduce

We make an effort to reduce materials at the source. For example, you might have noticed that you get fewer ice packs in deliveries during the colder months—that is because we remove extra ice packs when they are not necessary. We pay close attention to temperatures as the seasons change and have conducted testing to find the right balance between keeping products cold without overdoing it on materials.

2. Reuse (or Donate!)

In addition to the usual suspects—keeping food and drinks cool while on the go—here are a few ideas for creative ice pack reuse!

1. Keep baked goods fresh: Do you ever send homemade treats or baked goodies in the mail and worry about keeping them fresh? Next time, try sending them with an ice pack! (Pro tip: use a USPS Flat Rate box to keep down shipping costs due to added weight.)
2. Grocery trips: Bring an ice pack along when grocery shopping to keep perishable items cold on the way home.
3. DIY air chiller: No AC? Put an ice pack or two in front of a fan to help circulate cool air during a heat wave!
4. Donate to community food organizations: Many food banks, shelters, and meal delivery services need ice packs to keep food fresh during transportation.

Unfortunately, we do not currently have the infrastructure to facilitate an ice pack take-back program ourselves in a sustainable way, but many local food banks, breast milk donation centers, health centers, and similar organizations may also accept ice packs. Here are a few organizations we suggest donating your ice packs to if you live in these metropolitan areas!

• Second Servings (Houston, TX)
• Houston Food Bank (Houston, TX; find your nearest HFB partner)
• Los Angeles Mission (Los Angeles, CA)
• The Breastfeeding Center (Washington, DC)

Please check with these organizations for specific donation requirements and drop-off hours.

Be sure to only reuse or donate ice packs that are in great condition and not punctured. (If an ice pack is punctured, dispose of it according to the instructions on the packaging.) If you do not live in one of these regions, consider reaching out to local community organizations in your area to see if they can put them to good reuse! 

3. Recycle

Our ice packs can be recycled at store-drop off recycling locations, which accept #4 flexible film plastics that can't go in curbside recycling. Just follow the instructions on the ice pack and find a store drop-off recycling location near you.

Written by Kailynn Williams, Once Upon a Farm Sustainability Intern