Cold Chain Packaging Masterclass
Cold chain packaging isn’t about choosing better insulation — it’s about engineering systems that tolerate reality.
The Cold Chain Packaging Masterclass Series, hosted by Chris Bradley and Brodie Vander Dussen of Veritiv Sustainable Design Lab, is a deep, technical exploration of how cold chain systems actually work — and why so many fail once they leave the lab.
Across three masterclass episodes, this series breaks down the physics, materials, system interactions, and real-world failure modes that define cold chain performance today. From foundational thermal science to high-stakes biopharma logistics to disciplined design strategies, this masterclass equips teams to move from reactive problem-solving to engineered, repeatable cold chain systems.
What You’ll Learn:
- Cold Chain 101: How Thermal Systems Actually Work
- The five core cold chain temperature bands (CRT, refrigerated, frozen, deep frozen, cryogenic)
- How conduction, convection, and radiation drive temperature change
- Why does insulation alone not control thermal performance
- How lane variability fundamentally changes system behavior
- Where Cold Chain Systems Break: Biopharma & GLP-1 Logistics
- How biologics fail quietly through cumulative exposure, not dramatic excursions
- Why “lane-validated” designs often miss real failure points like dwell time and handoffs
- The hidden risks in 2–8°C and controlled room temperature shipments
- How scale exposes small design and execution weaknesses in GLP-1 programs
- Design Strategies That Actually Work in the Real World
- Why systems should be designed from failure modes — not material catalogs
- How worst-case design quietly drives cost, carbon, and inefficiency
- Why performance emerges from interaction between insulation, PCM, geometry, and execution
- The importance of repeatability testing across multiple identical builds
- How dimensional tolerance, interfaces, and orientation independence protect thermal margin
- Why stabilizing PCM mechanics matters as much as thermal energy
- How right-sizing eliminates waste without compromising protection
The series begins by laying the foundation: what cold chain packaging is truly designed to do, how heat moves through a shipper, and why performance is never about a single material. You’ll learn:
This episode reframes cold chain as a system engineering problem, not a packaging SKU decision.
In life sciences and GLP-1 logistics, cold chain failures aren’t just costly — they’re consequential. This section explores why systems that look validated on paper often fail in practice, including:
You’ll understand why monitoring alone doesn’t create protection — and why preventing excursions requires design tolerance, not just visibility.
The final episode moves from diagnosis to discipline. Rather than offering material swaps or theoretical upgrades, this masterclass outlines ten engineering-driven design strategies used to build cold chain systems that hold up at scale, including:
This episode shows how disciplined systems engineering reduces material, freight cost, and carbon — while improving reliability.
Ideal for Innovators:
Cold chain packaging sits at the intersection of performance, regulation, cost, and sustainability. As pressure increases from EPR laws, freight economics, brand expectations, and Scope 3 reporting, teams can no longer afford trial-and-error design.
This series is designed for:
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- Packaging Designers and Engineers
- Sustainability and Innovation Leaders
- Supply Chain and Operations Teams
- Biopharma, Life Sciences, and GLP-1 Program Leaders
- Anyone responsible for temperature-controlled packaging decisions
You’ll walk away with a clear framework for evaluating cold chain systems, identifying hidden failure risks, and designing solutions that scale without over-engineering.
Series Highlight: Cold Chain Packaging Masterclass
The Cold Chain Packaging Masterclass delivers a systems-level education on one of packaging’s most complex challenges — revealing why materials don’t fail, systems do, and how the best designs balance performance, cost, and sustainability through disciplined engineering.
Go Deeper Into Cold Chain Design
Listen to more Masterclass Series Episodes and sign up for the Sustainable Design Lab newsletter to stay informed on cold chain innovation, thermal system design, and emerging sustainability pressures shaping temperature-controlled packaging. You’ll get access to expert insights, future masterclasses, and practical frameworks to help you design cold chain systems that actually work.
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Contact Us
Connect with Veritiv’s Packaging, Facility and Print Specialists today.