Nutrisystem rolls out biodegradable fresh-frozen cooler for weight loss meal packaging

01 Oct 2020 --- Nutrisystem, a Tivity Health brand, has debuted a biodegradable fresh-frozen cooler for its weight loss meal plans. The new packaging is up to 92 percent biodegradable over a four year period, according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D5511 testing standard.

Nutrisystem customers have the option to recycle the shipping containers or simply mix them with their regular trash to let nature break them down over time. The boxes are made with thermally robust materials, and can be reused or repurposed.

“We are proud to introduce this eco-friendly cooler as part of our company’s larger mission to reduce waste without sacrificing performance,” says Tommy Lewis, president of Nutrisystem.

Nutrisystem claims it has further cut down on unnecessary packaging to reduce waste. Its food cartons utilize recyclable board stock and its food trays are recyclable and labeled accordingly. 

In addition, Nutrisystem has decreased the print materials included with its program, while simultaneously increasing program support through its website and its NuMi app.

Green meal kit packaging on the rise
Meal kits are on-trend for their convenience and provision of nutritionally balanced servings of food. Eco-friendly packaging is increasingly spotlighted in new launches, lining up with consumers’ calls for sustainability.

Eco-friendly meal kit packaging is increasingly spotlighted in new launches, lining up with consumers’ calls for sustainability.In this space, HelloFresh, a global meal kit service provider, selected Tetra Pak’s Tetra Recart carton package for use in European markets for its environmentally-friendly offering.

Last September, UK retailer Asda’s 97 fresh ready meal lines transitioned into “Evolve” tray packaging by Faerch, which are made from natural crystallized polyethylene terephthalate (cPET) – a form of detectable and recyclable plastic.

Other meal kit service providers such as Farmdrop - a UK online grocer with a focus on food sourced by local farmers, fisheries and other producers - have even chosen to do away with plastic completely.

Nutritional meal kit sales pushed up by COVID-19
COVID-19’s spread continues into the final quarter of the year and consumers around the world have been staying at home to help “flatten the curve” of contagion. As a result, consumers are cooking more at home as eating out is no longer a viable option.

Popular meal delivery service HelloFresh saw a surge in demand with orders increasing exponentially due to the pandemic period. The company delivers kits with fresh produce and ingredients that boast a healthy profile.

Ready meals are also increasingly catering to a wider range of consumers’ nutritional demands, from weight loss to healthy aging and personalization. 

And last week, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a US$2.9 million grant for “food as medicine” research that will focus on using medically tailored meal delivery as an effective health care intervention for diabetes. 

Edited by Benjamin Ferrer