How This Pod-Based Ice Cream Machine Can Reduce Carbon Emissions

ColdSnap details the benefits of its technology on its own website, referring to a “cold chain,” which is basically the whole ice cream/frozen produce supply chain that involves a lot of extra steps compared to transporting something like a bag of potatoes. The company states that it has a commitment to sustainability, and as such, it aims to simplify things not just for the customer, but for the industry. This may help ColdSnap avoid the same sort of criticism Keurig has faced over the amount of waste produced by coffee pods.

Making, shipping, and storing ice cream is a lot of hassle and involves a lengthy process with an equally long supply chain. Once your favorite ice cream makes it through the entire journey, you have to rush it home from the store in order to not let it melt, and then be sure to quickly put it back in the freezer once you serve yourself. Even then, it may lose some of its quality somewhere along the way and start melting, or on the contrary — it may be frozen solid and difficult to scoop. ColdSnap claims that using its proprietary device will result in an up to 50% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional methods of making and distributing ice cream.

It seems that ColdSnap is eager to solve several issues at once by introducing its new “pod” machine. We’re putting “pod” in quotes because the device doesn’t actually use pods, but it works in a very similar way to such devices (like the aforementioned Keurig). ColdSnap invented its own specialty aluminum cans that are fully recyclable and will replace the pod technology we’re familiar with. These cans will presumably only work with the device for the time being. The produce found inside the cans, be it soft-serve ice cream or a future frozen protein shake, is not ready to eat straight out of the container and will need to be placed in the machine in order for you to serve up some dessert.