Quinn Labs · open engineering challenge
Could you solve this?
Each month Quinn Labs publishes one unsolved engineering challenge.
We share what we know, what we tried and where it stopped. If you can move it forward, we'd like to hear from you.
Challenge #002 — GreenFreeze
August 2026Can a reusable, compostable, vegan cold pack replace today's plastic gel packs for sports, physiotherapy, food delivery, medicine and veterinary care?
Why it matters
- Millions of plastic gel packs are discarded every year across multiple industries.
- A compostable alternative would reduce waste in sports, medicine, food delivery and veterinary care at once.
- Solving the barrier problem for cold packs would transfer to many other flexible compostable containers.
What has been tried
- Bio-based films and natural gelling agents shaped into pouch prototypes.
- Repeated freeze-thaw testing to measure durability and moisture loss.
- Barrier-layer experiments to slow moisture escape while keeping the pack flexible.
Why it's difficult
Barrier + compostable
The property that keeps water in also resists biodegradation.
Repeated freeze-thaw
Most bio films degrade faster than plastic across many cycles.
Flexibility
The pack must stay soft and sealed even when fully frozen.
Cost
It has to compete with mass-produced plastic gel packs.
Who we're looking for
We don't need a finished answer. We need someone who knows why the obvious approaches fail.