Background

Although India is the world’s second largest fruit and vegetable producer, it is estimated 18-30% is wasted. 20% of this happens in the marketplace due to heat, pests and sun spoilage. Only 10% of fruit and vegetables are refrigerated any time before sale.

In Gujarat, on av. the temperature is 34°C and the humidity is 40% (excluding monsoon season). These, paired with constant wind from the ocean, makes it a perfect area for an evaporation cooling product.

The Cool-Crate

The cool-crate is a modern take on the traditional pot in pot cooler that uses evaporation heat flow to cool contents. This product has been proven with simple prototyping to keep food at 16°C cooler than the outside temperature, reducing fruit respiration and can triple shelf life. With an improved prototype it is estimated that the cooler can keep food fresh for even longer.

Manufacture

All manufacturing can be done locally in Gujarat from close sourced materials and workers. The materials have been specially selected to also support the Ahmadabad recycling industry.

Packaging

The components are initially flat sheets of aluminium, textile and plastic. These are stacked together in LDPE flat packs which are easy to transport. The products are transported to the customers after they have ordered through sales representatives or merchants.