Comments on: How can I reuse or recycle liquid-filled cold packs?

By: Rosemary Stuart

Rosemary Stuart — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:06:41 +0000

If Steve Young (posted Jan 18, 2011) reads this, please could he just say whether he thinks that French ‘frizets’ (I have 8 !), which can be/were used in cool-boxes when camping, contain ammonium nitrate? If so, would it be safe for me to empty the liquid down the sink? (The plastic containers can now be recycled, I am told.)

By: Steve Young

Steve Young — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:34:00 +0000

Don’t you know that Ammonium nitrate is a very common ingredient in fertilizer and is a very good source of nitrogen. What’s with this “dangerous” stuff. As long as you don’t drink it! It is very soluble in water and does not take much water to neutralize. Where do you people get your info??

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:21:23 +0000

The commercial refrigerant gels in the gel packs vary on primary substance. They are commercial grade as they stay too cold too long to safely use on human bodies. Hence, too, homemade gel packs maybe unwise to use for an overextended time and in direct use as to cause frostbite. Commercial products are non-toxic but still can prove hazardous to your health if used improperly. If made with a cellulose ether/polymer, then the product when dried out will be a fine dust that can prove to be explosive when mixed with air (as silo dust from stored grains can be). When spilled and still wet, the mixture is very slippery, like an icy surface. As the items are composed of non-toxic materials, disposal (of the gel) is best in a water sewage treatment system with the plastic bag tossed in a recycling container. Most gel bags have safety notices stamped on the bag. Other information can be found on mfgr MSDS (material safety data sheet).

By: Donald Doyle

Donald Doyle — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:37:47 +0000

some of these cold packs contain ammonium nitrate which if the
bag breaks could be very dangerous. As you may be aware. ammonium
nitrate is made with ammonia and nitric acid both are very corrosive

you cannot inhale the fumes if heated get it on your clothes ,ingest it
even get it on your skin. you must use large amouts of water to
neutralize it. As far as donating these items to anywhere but a hazmat
dump would be a big mistake.

By: Janice

Janice — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:43:50 +0000

I work for a pediatric clinic and we throw away dozens of these packs a week as well as heavy, thick insulated boxes in which vaccinations are shipped. The companies don’t generally want them back because shipping cost are prohibitive. These things are expensive and there just has to be a way that they can be used again. We have way too many for staff to use them at home and I dont’ know about daycares and schools because they do contain an unknown that could be released (and consumed) if punctured.

By: Tara

Tara — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:50:52 +0000

I just found information about recycling both the cool packs and the styrofoam shippers. This only applies to the specific brand I get, but maybe the other providers also supply this kind of information for their products.

http://www.coldchaintech.com/recycling/

By: Russell

Russell — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:50:00 +0000

I don’t get it. What is with you people who want to dump out the contents into the environment?

Have you any idea if there is a petroleum or other chemical component s?

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:11:44 +0000

Disposable Nappies!
Did you know that the new disposable nappies are full of ‘swell gel’, it’s the same stuff you get from the garden centre to add to compost to retain moisture and costs around £5 a box.
I have started to re-use my grandson’s nappies, just the wet ones! Rinse them in the shower until all the ‘yellow’ has gone and they don’t smell. Rip one end and squeeze them into your compost and hay presto compost that doesn’t dry out. Ideal if you live in an area that has hose pipe bans every summer. I’m always nagging my daughter about the nappies; I always used towelling ones. And the thought of all the nappies ending up in landfill horrifies me.
Have a go, it’s free and greener.
Katie, A new nanny

By: Kat

Kat — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 03:44:02 +0000

We do not have an excess of these packs, but so far we have just enough of them to line the bottom and sides of our freezer. I have placed them there because they help keep the temperature more consistent during all the daily ins and outs, and if the power goes out the food has a better chance of surviving in frozen form, especially if we do not open the freezer door. The packs act in the freezer just like they would act in a cooler, when the power goes out.

By: bigsusan

bigsusan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:05:43 +0000

Give them to friends who camp, to use instead of coolpacks?

By: reducinator

reducinator — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 07:55:46 +0000

Open them up and mix the contents into potting soil. They will absorb the water and give the plant longer access to it.

By: seventh sister

seventh sister — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:29:32 +0000

It is possible that your local meals on wheels could use both the cold pacs and the containers they come in to deliver meals that need to be kept cool.

By: Liltreetop

Liltreetop — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:25:08 +0000

Looks as if they would make great colpaks for those that hang on you like a bak back while your doing work in the heat.

By: Liltreetop

Liltreetop — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:23:39 +0000

They could be frozen and donated at each hunting season for hunters to pack their meat with after their kill. Contact the sporting goods stores and make an inexpensive flyer as to where they can get them.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:56:16 +0000

Depending on size but I have a camelbak and put a couple of long thin lollipops inside them. Could these be an effective substitute? What is the liquid?

By: Mom2fur

Mom2fur — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:59:57 +0000

I work for a pediatrician, and we get these, too. Or something similar. I keep one in the fridge at home. It is great to use for a headache! (I find they freeze too solidly, so I only refrigerate them.)

By: geslepen

geslepen — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:26:49 +0000

keep it cold to use on booboos

By: Rita

Rita — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:48:20 +0000

For more info on freecycle, visit: http://www.freecycle.org – It’s a global grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Rita

By: Ann Hafften

Ann Hafften — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:16:42 +0000

I’m not acquainted with FREECYCLE. For now, I have contacted the manufacurer for advice as to the suitability of recycling. I like the wall insulation idea, but our house is 100 years old and its walls are not hollow. I had another idea similar to one above, to contribute to the school nurses in our area. Two members of my church are school nurses and I know they encounter lots of bumps and bruises. Ann

By: Rita

Rita — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:18:49 +0000

Why not send them back to the manufacturer who sent them to you? (include a note for them to recycle/reuse) Let them re-use them on future orders. It would be nice if they setup a free return shipping label (like ink cartridges now) for recycling/reuse. Otherwise, have you tried FREECYCLE? I’m sure people in sports could use them.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:36:09 +0000

If they are like the reusable medical cold packs, then they could be donated to nursery schools, etc. for children.

I suggest this because numerous times my 5 year old niece will bump herself. She doesn’t need the cold pack, but it makes her feel better and doesn’t deplete the supply of bandages in the house.

By: Delusion

Delusion — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:21:14 +0000

If they are what I think they are, I believe they can be reused in cavity wall insulation.

With a veggie box scheme we get they have some of those cold packs etc and they reuse them until they are a bit too past it then have them recycled into wall insulation.

I am assuming there will be some company out there who would take them to do this.