Otter Products launches Liviri cases for food shipments

FORT COLLINS — Officials at Otter Products LLC hope that the name Liviri becomes as well-known for reusable shipping containers as Otterbox is for rugged phone cases.

Liviri Inc., a unit of Otter based alongside its parent at 209 S. Meldrum St. in Fort Collins, has launched the Liviri line of high-performance, reusable shipping solutions that are designed to replace corrugated cardboard boxes.

The product targets the multibillion-dollar market for shipments of meal kits and direct-to-consumer perishable food items.

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Liviri officials say that shipment of food items via corrugated cardboard boxes has created concerns over food safety and packaging waste, both for industry and consumers. Their solution? Durable, insulated, reusable shipping containers sized for meal kits and perishables such as meat, seafood, produce, juices and other items.

“Meal kits have become increasingly popular in the United States, but we’ve done extensive research that shows consumers really struggle with the experience when the box reaches them,” Liviri and Otter Products CEO Jim Parke said in a written statement. “Proteins are difficult to keep in the safe temperature zone. Produce is wilted. The box is damaged. And even if it all arrives in good shape, the consumer is responsible for breaking down and discarding or recycling a lot of packaging. It’s not an efficient or enjoyable experience, so we set out to reimagine the box.”

Liviri highlights a 2017 study by Rutgers/Tennessee State University, which concluded that almost 47 percent of meal kits arrived with surface temperatures above 40 degrees, rendering them unsafe to consume.

For companies, that means refunded shipments and lost consumers. For consumers, it means finding another option to replace those spoiled meals.

Such problems are exacerbated by the physical waste, with consumers having to dispose of ice packs, spoiled food and single-use plastic packaging, and recycling the cardboard shipping containers themselves.

Much of that waste winds up in landfills, Liviri says.

Liviri’s reusable shipping containers can be reused up to 75 times and provide 80 percent better insulation than corrugated cardboard, the company says.

“We’ve spent two years developing the Liviri line of products and Liviri Fresh significantly outpaces the most popular packaging out there,” Parke said. “We’re bringing a reusable solution to the home delivery model that will help retain customers, improve the at-home experience and lessen the burden on our landfills. That circular mindset delivers a win for everyone.”

After consumers receive a shipment, they simply remove the perishables, close the lid, attach a return shipping label and return view a shipping service. The container is then sanitized and used for the next shipment.

Otter Products in November filed for a federal trademark for Liviri. It’s unclear how widespread Liviri’s launch will be, or how the products will be distributed. A spokesman for Otter did not respond by publication deadline.