In today’s society many brands are improving their sustainability efforts, and for good reason. We are flat out in a climate crisis! To that end we are highlighting our favorite brands taking charge in the sustainability realm ahead of Earth Day. Afterall, it’s cool to be kind, but it’s even ‘cooler’ to be green!

Igloo, a brand that screams ‘vintage,’ is doing their best to take big steps to become the most environmentally friendly cooler company on Earth. We all remember the brand for being that trusted staple for every household. It’s a strong brand that holds a lot of memories, and not to mention the world’s first hard side cooler made with recycled plastic. Due to their sustainability efforts, there are even more memories to be made.

The beloved brand released its ECOCOOL collection for Earth Day and the brand promises “even greener pastures.” This cooler collection is the first of its kind to be made with recycled resin! That means they’re taking post-consumer plastic — mostly discarded plastic yogurt cups and milk jugs — that would otherwise end up in landfills throughout the world and transforming it into a recycled resin used in the outside body, liner and lid of each ECOCOOL cooler, all made at our facility in the USA.

“We are very proud to introduce the world’s first hardside coolers made with recycled plastic,” stated Dave Allen, CEO and President of Igloo. “We’ve had a series of industry firsts since Igloo was founded in 1947, so we’re happy to continue this tradition while also moving forward significantly in our mission to become the most environmentally friendly cooler company on Earth.”

Ahead of the release, ECOCOOL hosted a few journalists for an intimate virtual presentation to discuss their 2021 innovations in sustainability. As part of a promo for their new recycled cooler, Igloo sent the new Playmate filled with margarita fixings which included Santo, a delicious tequila created by Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri. During the discussion attendees were able to hear more information about their latest release in addition to making a cocktail with the Mayor of ‘Flavortown’, Guy Fieri himself.  

With the initial production run of ECOCOOL, Igloo will utilize 58 tons (116,383 pounds) of recycled resin, which is equivalent to saving the landfill space of 10 football fields. From a 7-quart Little Playmate to a 90-quart roller cooler, the ECOCOOL collection ranges $24.95–$99.95, is delivering to REI stores and REI.com now, and will be available on Igloocoolers.com April 22.