The Chill Can is a package design with a twist: If the name didn't tip you off, the thing chills itself. Using a "Micro Cooling" technology which has reportedly been in the works for nearly two decades, the can uses onboard CO2 to somehow drop the contents by 30 degrees when the user hits the button. (The curious among you can attempt to decipher the scientific explanation here.)
So how does this impact the environment? I suppose if it were absolutely widespread enough to make a dent in the production of styrofoam coolers, that'd be one thing. But the terse description on the Chill Can website under "Environment" is decidedly not reassuring: "It has been tried, tested, and found to be environmentally safe." Ah, we see! Awesome!
The Chill Can recently won the Editor's Choice Award for Packaging Design at Supply Side West, an industry tradeshow. To that accolade, however, I must confer my own award of Worst Promotional Videos Ever:
Want a better look at that button? Here you go:
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