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According to information from G1, the entrepreneur Lucas Amato, from Uberaba, in Minas Gerais, created a recyclable cardboard cooler that keeps drinks cold for up to six hours and already sells 40,000 units per month, with a monthly revenue of around R$ 30,000 and part of the sales happening outside Brazil. The product went through 21 tests over nine months of development and hit the market with an initial investment of R$ 60,000.
The idea was born from a daily observation. Amato noticed that customers of beverage distributors bought cold beer but had no way to transport it or keep it refrigerated until the final destination. The cooler was forgotten at home, there was no styrofoam nearby, or the available container didn’t fit in the car without making a mess. The result of this frustration was a disposable cooler, resistant and reusable, made with reinforced cardboard and internal thermal lining, designed not to leak water in the vehicle and to support the weight of ice and drinks without losing structure. The main version has a capacity of 15 liters, holding 12 cans or 12 long necks plus ice, and is produced with 100% recycled and recyclable materials.
The cardboard cooler has already found uses that the creator himself did not foresee. Customers use the product to transport meats, vegetables, popsicles, and even ornamental fish, taking advantage of the sealing and thermal capacity to maintain the temperature for longer in situations where conventional styrofoam would be the only alternative.
From 21 tests in nine months to 40,000 units per month
The path from idea to final product was not short. Lucas Amato spent approximately nine months testing different combinations of size, cardboard thickness, structural resistance, and sealing materials until reaching the model that works. There were 21 versions tested, each adjusting an aspect that the previous one did not completely solve. In some tests, the cardboard did not withstand the weight of the ice. In others, the sealing leaked after two hours. The process of trial and error ensured that the final cooler could withstand six hours of thermal conservation without compromising the structure.
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The initial investment of R$ 60,000, divided among partners, covered product development, the purchase of materials for prototypes, and the start of production. Currently, the factory is located in São José do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, and the distribution center operates in Uberaba. The production of 40,000 boxes per month indicates that the cooler has found a market on a sufficient scale to justify the operation, and the monthly revenue of R$ 30,000 shows that the business sustains itself even with a product sold at an affordable price.
The cooler that doesn’t leak in the car
One of the most common problems with styrofoam is the water that drips when the ice melts. The cardboard cooler developed by Amato was specifically designed not to leak water in the car, a concern that eliminates the main objection of those transporting cold drinks in vehicles. The internal thermal lining acts as a double barrier: it keeps the cold inside and prevents the moisture from melting from passing through the cardboard and wetting the trunk.
The structural resistance was also designed for transport. Unlike styrofoam, which breaks easily and scatters pieces throughout the car, the reinforced cardboard of the cooler maintains its shape even with the weight of 12 cans, 12 long necks, and ice. According to Amato, many customers reuse the packaging on other occasions, which demonstrates that the durability exceeds the expectation of a product initially conceived as disposable.
Sustainability as a competitive differential
Styrofoam, made of expanded polystyrene, is one of the most problematic materials in environmental terms. It takes hundreds of years to decompose, is not recycled in most Brazilian cities, and often ends up in rivers, beaches, and landfills where it occupies space disproportionate to its weight. The recyclable cardboard cooler directly addresses this problem by offering a functional alternative made with 100% recycled and recyclable materials.
For consumers and companies looking to reduce the environmental impact of their operations, the cardboard cooler represents a practical exchange that does not require sacrificing performance. Six hours of thermal conservation cover the duration of a barbecue, a beach party, or a delivery with ease. And when the product reaches the end of its useful life, it can be discarded in selective collection like any other cardboard, without generating difficult-to-decompose waste.
From barbecue to delivery: the uses that surprised
The cooler was created with end consumers in mind who buy cold beer from distributors and need to transport it. But the market found other uses that even Lucas Amato hadn’t planned: transporting meat for barbecues, preserving vegetables during fairs, thermal protection of popsicles at events, and even transporting ornamental fish that need stable temperature during the journey between store and home.
For the food sector, the novelty can open up concrete opportunities. Leonel Paim, vice-president of Abrasel-SP (Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants of São Paulo), believes that the cooler can increase the average ticket of establishments by facilitating the delivery of cold drinks along with meals. Delivery services that currently cannot send cold beer due to lack of suitable packaging would have in the cardboard cooler a solution that fits the cost of the operation and reaches the customer maintaining the temperature.
From Uberaba to abroad
The operation that started in Minas Gerais has already crossed Brazil’s borders. Part of the cooler sales happens outside the country, although Amato has not detailed which markets he exports to or what percentage of revenue comes from abroad. The fact that such a simple product in concept has already found international buyers suggests that the problem solved by the cardboard cooler is not exclusively Brazilian: anywhere in the world where people transport cold drinks and are bothered by styrofoam, the product has potential market.
The next step for the company is to invest in the customization of the boxes, allowing beverage brands, supermarket chains, and event organizers to print their logos on the cooler. Customization transforms the utilitarian packaging product into a marketing tool, which can significantly increase the volume of corporate orders. Amato sums up the ambition without hesitation: “I want to see it in every wine cellar and every supermarket.”
A cardboard cooler against decades of styrofoam
The recyclable cardboard cooler created by Lucas Amato keeps drinks cold for six hours, doesn’t leak in the car, already sells 40,000 units per month, and has found uses ranging from barbecues to transporting ornamental fish. The product went through 21 tests, cost R$ 60,000 to develop, and earns R$ 30,000 per month with sales in Brazil and abroad. If styrofoam isn’t going to disappear tomorrow, at least now it has a competitor that goes to recycling instead of the ocean.
Would you swap styrofoam for a cardboard cooler? Tell us in the comments if you already knew about this product, if you believe six hours of preservation is enough for your use, and which application caught your attention the most: beer at a barbecue, restaurant delivery, or fish transportation. We want to hear your opinion.
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