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A joyful way of keeping the earth cool.

At NV Logistics, we are never short of surprises. Take as an example our tightly knit team of transport whizzes who are given challenges such as shipping a fury Yeti to Russia or flying precious scientific instruments to the Antarctic.

Being a logistics company, we stamp our footprint just about anywhere in the world!

And this is why, in 2014, we decided to team up with myclimate and make use of their smart method which transforms the carbon footprint (CO₂ ) into positive and useful experiences.

The result is the climate-neutral label which has been awarded to NV Logistics for 2014, based on an in-depth evaluation of our internal administrative resources and processes.

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We earned the label thanks to close collaboration with ecoLive, a local Geneva-based environmental agency who guided us through the certification process.

This experience has given us many insights and the opportunity of taking action in two practical ways:

1. Identify company-internal pollution elements with a view of reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Participate in the global movement by supporting other worthwhile climate-protection projects.

Please check out the two projects we currently support. If you are already our customer or plan to work with us in 2016, these projects are also yours.

Alright. So, what’s up with myclimate?

myclimate is a Swiss non-profit organisation with an international repute. It actively promotes climate protection, both locally and globally. It prides itself to be science-based and business-oriented.

Its clients (referred to as partners) are large, medium and small businesses, public administrations, non-profit organisations, event organisers and private individuals.

myclimate’s patronage committee includes (amongst others) Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard – Head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications and Prof. Muhammad Yunus – Founder and Managing Director of Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

How does it work?

We hope that these short points help you grasp the essentials …

1. The Assumption is that most individuals and organisations are mindful about global warming and its dire consequences.

2. The Villains are greenhouse gases, present in the atmosphere in high and concentrated volumes. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is an important greenhouse gas.

3. The (lovable) Weaklings are the human beings. We cannot help being alive, smart, curious, fun loving, restless. We like to breathe, eat, drink, make things, own things, travel, invent, celebrate, connect, work.

4. The Challenge is about strengthening the resolve of human beings to change some of our behaviours, in the interest of all and before climate change becomes irreversible.

5. The Hero is the carbon footprint; a powerful and dependable tool which empowers us to do brave deeds, such as taking concrete action to contain and reduce greenhouse gases.

6. The Plot is pragmatic and non-judgmental.
myclimate intervenes in two ways: 1. Advises organisations and individuals about how to decrease their own carbon footprint and 2. Calculates the monetary value of unavoidable emissions. Example: Company A produces 70 tons (t CO₂e) of unavoidable emissions. Based on myclimate’s algorithm, this translates into a monetary value of say CHF 5000. If Company A so desires (volontary), they may donate this monetary value to Project B which applies renewable energies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. NB: Project B has a cost which is fully or partially covered by the donor’s CHF 5000. Without this funding, it is most likely that Project B would not exist.

7. A positive ending – resulting in carbon-neutrality – is totally feasible. With the myclimate method, and referring to the above example, Project B (funded by Company A) reduces Company A’s unavoidable carbon footprint by the same amount (70 t CO₂e).

Please note that carbon footprint is not tied to a location. The climate is indifferent as to where on the surface of the earth the unwanted gases escape into the atmosphere, and where they are reduced.

Still got a minute to spare?

Browse through our super short climate change refresher, as displayed here below.

The greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere help keep the earth at an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.

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Without this greenhouse effect, the world’s temperature would be minus 18 degrees Celsius.

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Since the industrial revolution, large amounts of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, as a by-product of human activity.

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The rising concentration in the atmosphere of these gases leads to an increase of the average global temperature.

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… which in turn disrupts our climate

What’s next?

If you are tempted to earn your own climate-neutral label, please drop us a line in the comments. We gladly share our experience of the insightful certification process we completed and which allowed us to take immediate and positive action, both internally and globally.

Many top notch professionals care (a lot) about your wellbeing.

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Picture Dan the famous professor and his ravishing team of young women and men PhD’s. They mobilised their intellectual powers during 8 long years to develop a new and highly effective medication that brings much relief to patients who suffer from acute asthma.
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Meet Sandra, a Swissmedic administration officer. A lady who dedicates her professional life to making sure that processes and procedures are in place so that a medicament – and its users – are safe throughout the supply chain: from the science lab to the packaged product on the Pharmacy’s shelf..
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And last but not least, think of Karl who is like a mother hen when it comes to making sure that his warehouse is preserving thousands of packages of medication at the exact right temperature, so that the cold chain is never interrupted.
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So why do most of us common mortals store our pills just any old way?

It’s not that we’re bad, it’s just that we don’t know!

This article lists 6 important NO NO’s related to storing medicaments. A quick but attentive read gives you and your family the best protection for getting well safely.

So, here goes:

1. Don’t store your medication in your bathroom. Humidity is a power killer!

2. Don’t leave your pills on the backshelf of your car, even if it’s a handy place right now. Direct light gives bad vibes to medicaments!

3. Don’t store pills in your vehicule’s glove box although it may be a neat storage place. And don’t hide them away at a seemingly convenient location, such as a cupboard outside on your balcony. Excessive heat and freezing alters your medication’s properties.

4. Don’t ever leave pills lying around on coffee tables. Put them out of reach of little agile fingers! You never know when the neighbour’s little Fritzli zooms in for a short visit, or when the grand-children turn up unexpectedly. Make sure you store all your family’s medicaments at the same (safe) place.

5. Don’t forget to read the label provided by the manufacturer. Make sure you don’t interrupt the cold chain if your medication needs to be kept cold. This means that – once collected at the Pharmacy – you must not let pass too many hours before storing it in the fridge. Check carefully whether you need to observe a specific temperature range.

6. Don’t leave a cotton plug in a medicine bottle. This can draw moisture into the container.

And whilst we are into Dont’s, let’s give ourselves a real fright with the grapefruit story!

The strange “grapefruit effect” was first discovered entirely by accident.

Here is an extract of an article published on the topic by the Smithsonian Magazine (March 2012).

“As part of a 1989 study, scientists at London’s Victoria Hospital were attempting to discover whether ethanol—the molecule responsible for the intoxicating effects of alcoholic drinks—could negatively interact with a drug called felodipine, developed to treat high blood pressure.

They happened to use grapefruit juice to mask the taste of the alcohol, and discovered unexpectedly high levels of the drug in the blood. After further investigation, they realized it wasn’t the alcohol causing the surge—it was the grapefruit.”

In a nutshell:  Don’t swallow a pill together with a glass of grapefruit juice. Doing so has (for some medicaments) a booster effect and can be like taking 20 tablets.

Please watch this 2 minute video from the US Food and Drug administration and if you still don’t believe that this is possible, google “grapefruit and drug warnings”. All (and more) will be revealed!

An ode to dedicated professionals.

When we are in incredible pain and a medicament miraculously brings relief, let’s have a quick and grateful thought for Dan, Sandra and Karl who – throughout the supply chain of a medicament’s life –  contribute to our wellbeing and safety.

Stay healthy!

Disclaimer:

Whilst we strive to make our articles and tutorials as accurate as possible, NV Logistics SA cannot be held responsible for any advice we give, and changes in rules & regulations initiated by various worldwide organisations, including governments and others.

Our client, Debiopharm Group, transforms promising molecules into innovative therapies.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland – Debiopharm’s main area of expertise is oncology, but they also develop medication in therapeutic areas such as immunology and infectious diseases.

The Case Study

For your easy reading, we have divided this report into three parts.

	1. The Client’s Challenge
	2. NV Logistics’ Answer
	3. The End Result

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1. The Client’s Challenge

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Debiopharm Group contacted us for:

1. An offer regarding a cross trade shipment for pharmaceutical goods.
2. Advice about the most appropriate isothermal packaging solution.
3. Cold chain transport.
   The Brief: maintain pharmaceutical goods at a guaranteed temperature range of between 2-8° C, from departure in Austria to arrival in the USA.

What is cross trade shipping?

Cross trade shipping is the transportation of goods between two countries, outside of the country where the client (the paying party) is located.

What is isothermal packaging?

Isothermal packaging, also referred to as insulated shipping systems, are solutions that conserve goods at a particular temperature for a specific period of time.

A competent shipper will dedicate his expertise to choosing the optimal system, based on a client’s exact specifications.

To learn more about packaging, please read our How to get cold chain shipping right tutorial. Your bonus: an easy to use Shipping Profile Checklist (infographic), ready for download and print.

What is a Cold Chain?

As the handling and transport of temperature sensitive substances is becoming more tightly regulated worldwide, cold chain is a highly sought-after service. Typical users are in the life sciences field: biomedical companies, hospitals, research laboratories, and also in the food industry.

A cold chain is a system which is made up of:

• Resources (such as isothermal packaging).
• Shipping professionals.
• Paperwork.
• Reporting (such as temperature logging).

Its aim is to keep substances at a guaranteed temperature range whilst transporting them from destination A to destination B.

Cold chain systems can be very complex, requiring impeccable planning and disciplined implementation by experienced shippers.

Recommended!

Check out our Cold Chain Tutorials series which include practical infographics for download and print. We provide ready to use check lists covering must-have data such as temperature, product volume, transit times, and more.

How to get Cold Chain Shipping right | Setting the scene for best value (1/3)
How to get Cold Chain Shipping right | Active and Passive shipping solutions (2/3)

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2. NV Logistics’ Answer

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Cross Trade Shipping.

NV Logistics is experienced and fully equipped to execute cross trade shipping.

Internal expertise is backed up by collaboration with worldwide partners, judiciously chosen for their know-how  in the biopharmaceutical/life sciences environment. Amongst others: World Cargo Alliance (WCA) and SFS Pharma Logistics.

When a customer places a cross trade shipping order with us, we coordinate (on behalf of the client) the shipment from A-Z. Each step is documented and communicated to the client’s internal project manager.

For this specific project, goods needed to be moved from the departure location in Austria to Vienna airport. We interacted with and monitored activities with both the local packaging supplier and the local shipping representative.

Once arrived in the US, our local shipping agent welcomed the goods at the airport, monitored the import formalities and moved the goods from the airport storage to the final client destination.

Isothermal packaging.

The Debiopharm shipping brief required a guaranteed and validated temperature range of between 2-8º C. In other words a non-interrupted cold chain between Austria and the USA .

Based on the client’s described needs, we evaluated several solutions and submitted our preferred choice – fully documented – to Debiopharm for their approval.

For this specific shipping request we retained:

©Laminar Medica Insulated shipping systems.
Laminar Chilltherm® CTC 506 Summer*

*The destination point being North Carolina, the average temperature range of that location at that specific season made us choose the Summer configuration.

Want to learn more about Laminar system assembly? View this video – and/or download this PDF.

NV Logistics’ internal decision processes are based on experience, technical know-how and predefined checklists. Download our temperature checklist, for your immediate practical use.

We strive to provide the safest solution at optimised cost/performance ratios.

Cold Chain transport.

The success of cold chain transport relies on eliminating all possible leak points throughout the whole shipping journey. When we coordinate shipping missions on behalf of our clients, these 3 elements are essential, and dear to us:

1. Safe isothermic packaging.
2. Exact shipping documentation.
3. Product temperature integrity proof.

1. Safe isothermic packaging.

Each isothermal packaging system comes with its own (sometimes complex) instruction set. The availability of competent packaging staff is, therefore, essential.

For Debiopharm we ensured that:

• The packaging system – ordered by NV Logistics on behalf of the client – was sent to the departure point in Austria in good time.
• A Controlled Room Temperate (CRT) storage space and a freezer was provided. Both are integral parts of the isothermal packaging solution.

2. Exact shipping documentation.

For optimal cold chain shipping, time is of the essence. We ensured that documents such as bills of lading and pro-forma invoices strictly conformed with the regulations of the importing country.

We have an attitude to shipping documents that could be qualified as a little pedantic 😉 but our zeal is usually rewarded! We consistently achieve highly performant import events.

For Debiopharm, we submitted initial drafts to our importing agent in the USA who suggested a few minor changes, thus ensuring smooth customs clearance.

Debiopharm’s internal staff duly reissued revised documents which we forwarded to our local agent (USA) for final approval. We then received the “OK to ship”.

3. Product temperature integrity proof.

An essential component of cold chain transport is the monitoring of temperature levels throughout the journey. Monitored data in the form of temperature charts is being delivered to the client at termination.

But if the client so desires – we’re fully equipped to provide live monitoring during the journey.

For Debiopharm, we ensured that the local representative at departure point in Austria embedded adequate temperature logger devices.

Our agent in the USA arranged for the recuperation of the temperature logger devices. He made sure that the data logger reports were ready as soon as the shipment was delivered to the client’s location.

Hence the client had immediate access to crucial cold chain data which, in the end, determines the shipment’s success.

3. The End Result

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NV Logistics takes care of everything!

This is the concluding message (after delivery was completed) we received from Debiopharm’s project manager.

Thank you very much for your message and your exceptional service concerning this shipment.

Moral:
For cold chain shipping to be successful, all components must be “just right”, and each individual professional who is part of the chain needs to do “the right thing”.

We like to compare ourselves to a conductor of an orchestra. A symphony touches our heart if each individual artist is given the chance to shine – so that each single action becomes an exceptional part of an exceptional outcome.

Trust and transparency.

At NV Logistics we take the trust our clients bestow on us very seriously.

One of the best ways to earn trust is complete transparency. This starts with ongoing and clear communication during the whole shipping journey.

Here are 2 examples of how we communicate.

1. Photo sent to Debiopharm’s project manager in Lausanne.

2. Client Response.

“Thank you very much for this reassuring update. I will also take advantage of your nice photos to provide the recipient with an idea of the volume this package represents”.

2. Arrival announcement sent to goods’ recipient in North Carolina (USA).

NV Logistics’ US representative sent this message to the recipient of the goods:

“Just wanted to confirm that the shipment is in good order and in route to you. With the rain and storms that have been in the area they are anticipating arrival between 13h30 and 14h30 this afternoon.

The driver will be awaiting permission to open the container and remove the two data loggers. He will take these with him.”

3. The following report, rendered by the two data loggers, was subsequently sent to the client.