DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER PHARMACY
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PACKAGING
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3PL
SOLUTIONS
With headquarters outside of Chicago, we have a national network of operations across the United States: Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Columbus, Dallas, and more. Let us help you make your supply chain reliable, efficient, and optimized for success.
Thermal liners are an alternative solution to molded foam coolers for maintaining refrigerated or frozen temperatures during transit. They are available in fiber, starch, PET, and cotton materials, and can be customized to enhance product performance, sustainability goals, and cost efficiency. They can be used with or without additional thermal barrier bags and are compatible with gel packs, PCM bricks, and dry ice, depending on the required temperature range and duration. They can be shipped flat to save storage space and enable quick assembly, while managing moisture from refrigerants.
EPS molded coolers are a reliable and economical choice for shipping all types of perishable materials. Available in EPS (expanded polystyrene) and responsible material options for disposal may be available. These coolers are engineered to create an insulated barrier within a corrugated container and are great for most food and pharmaceutical applications.
Pallet-sized, insulated packaging systems are durable and great for protecting bulk loads of refrigerated and frozen products. These products provide multi-day performance and are independently ISTA certified with laboratory testing.
They are ideal for 3PL and cold chain shipments with LTL freight trucking, rail, and overseas deliveries. Available in single or multi-trip reusable options.
Insulated mailers keep products protected and cold while supporting responsible material options for disposal. They are available in thermal foil, cotton, or foam‑lined options, designed with end‑of‑life considerations in mind, and they save storage and shipping space compared to traditional EPS shippers. Thermal mailers can be used with or without gel packs and are ideal for 24–48 hour shipments of medical and food products.
Gel packs and ice bricks are food-grade and safe to ship, keeping perishables and temperature-sensitive products in “as shipped” condition of ambient or frozen in a variety of sizes. They are reusable and moldable when thawed. Customization for branding and size requirements is available in addition to drain-safe and responsible disposal options.
Temperature sensors complement qualified packaging by providing definitive evidence of cold chain conditions. From single-use indicators to reusable temperature monitors, these sensors track shipment conditions from origin to delivery, aiding compliance, reducing re-shipments, and enabling receiving decisions based on data.
TemperPack WaveKraft® offers customizable, multifunctional paper-based insulation on demand. Produce what you need, when you need it, to keep up with demand, reduce waste, and reallocate warehouse space. WaveKraft is a first-of-its-kind technology that produces multifunctional, curbside recyclable insulation on a compact, on-demand production platform.
Cold Chain Solutions Designed for Your Products
Strategic Partnerships and Packaging Validation
- International Safe Transit Association (ISTA)
- Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC)
- Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC)
Food Packaging
Healthcare Solutions
Sustainable Solutions
Frequently Asked Questions
Cold chain packaging is packaging designed to maintain a specific temperature range during storage and transportation. It uses materials including insulated containers, refrigerants, and temperature-monitoring solutions to protect products from temperature fluctuations that could compromise their safety, quality, or efficacy. Cold chain packaging is used for pharmaceutical applications, vaccines, food, and other products that require temperature control from origin to destination.
Shorr helps customers design and implement cold chain packaging solutions that support product protection, regulatory compliance, and sustainability goals.
Cold chain packaging is tested and validated through a combination of laboratory simulations and real-world shipment trials to evaluate thermal performance under expected transportation conditions. Common testing methods include environmental chamber testing, ISTA-certified test procedures and standards, temperature mapping, and live-lane testing. These tests help verify that the packaging system can maintain required temperature ranges throughout storage, handling, and transit.
Yes. Cold chain packaging can be customized to meet unique product characteristics, temperature requirements, payload size, shipping duration, and handling conditions. These packaging solutions are designed to maintain the required temperature range while supporting shipments, parcel or pallet distribution, and operational efficiency. The right solution combines thermal performance, product protection, sustainability goals, and supply chain requirements.
Sustainable cold chain packaging options range from fiber-based insulation, paper-based packaging, post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials, and cotton insulation to plant-based materials, eco-friendly solutions, and curbside-recyclable packaging. These alternatives can help reduce environmental impact while maintaining the thermal performance required to protect temperature-sensitive products during storage and transportation. The best solution for your application depends on product requirements, temperature range, distribution conditions, and sustainability goals.
Validation requirements depend on the product, industry, temperature profile, shipping conditions, regulatory considerations, and customer specifications. Documentation typically includes test protocols, temperature monitoring data, validation reports, and other records documenting that the solution consistently maintains required temperature ranges. Common requirements include ISTA testing protocols, such as ISTA 7D, temperature performance testing, distribution simulation testing, and product-specific validation documentation. The testing strategy depends on the product, supply chain risks, and compliance requirements.
Choosing the right cold chain packaging solution for your applications begins with evaluating the product, temperature requirements, shipment duration, distribution network, and operational needs. Factors such as insulation materials, refrigerants, packaging configuration, regulatory requirements, sustainability goals, and total delivered cost are all important in determining the best solution.
At Shorr, we apply a material-neutral, collaborative approach that is designed to protect your products and streamline packaging operations.
Cold chain packaging can be designed to maintain a wide range of temperatures, including frozen, refrigerated, controlled room temperature (CRT), and other customizable temperature ranges. The temperature range depends on factors including shipment duration, ambient conditions, packaging design, insulation materials, and refrigerants. A well-engineered cold chain solution helps ensure temperature-sensitive products remain within required specifications throughout storage and transportation.
Cold chain packaging can be designed to maintain the required temperature for 24 to 120 hours or longer, depending on the product, packaging design, refrigerant type, and shipping conditions. Temperature duration is impacted by factors such as ambient temperatures, transit time, distribution environment, and thermal packaging performance. Thoroughly validated cold chain packaging ensures temperature-sensitive products remain protected throughout storage and transportation.
Shorr provides end-to-end cold chain packaging solutions designed to protect temperature-sensitive products throughout the supply chain. Our capabilities include product selection, custom packaging design, thermal testing, validation support, kitting, and nationwide fulfillment. Shorr uses a material- and vendor-neutral approach; we evaluate insulation materials, refrigerants, and packaging configurations to identify the optimal solution for your application. We help customers optimize thermal performance, regulatory compliance, total cost of ownership, sustainability goals, operational efficiency, and total delivered cost.