Leslie, the artisan behind Luca Chocolates, told us about an ice pack she makes using materials that won’t end up in landfill. Not only would she like to share how she creates her eco-friendly ice packs which can be re-used in the garden, she sent photos.

First, here’s how she describes the ice packs:

“The filling is just water and a superabsorbent polymer (the same stuff that’s inside diapers and lady products) which also has an application as a water saver in your garden.  If you were to buy the powder on your own, you could mix a small amount in with garden soil and it would hold the water longer than soil alone.  I think Miracle Grow also makes a potting soil that already contains it.

So, if you don’t want to use the ice packs that ship with Luca Chocolate as an ice pack, just cut them open and stir them into your garden or house plant soil.  I imagine you could also spread it out on a baking sheet and let the water evaporate (no idea how long that would take) and then stir it into the soil dry.”

Along with these eco ice packs, corn-based peanuts that can also melt down are another great earth friendly packing material, used by Liz Lovely and others.

Do you have creative earth friendly ways of creating ice packs?

The ingredients

water
superabsorbent polymer
powder
plastic bag

Instructions:

Add the powder into water
5 minutes later it will have gelled.
Put the gel into bag
Completed ice pack
Freeze it. Here’s what the frozen ice pack will look like!