Always handle dry ice in a well-ventilated room.
Dry ice vaporizes into carbon dioxide and can cause poisoning in enclosed spaces.

The following items are needed for packing a dry ice shipment:¹

• Styrofoam cooler(s) large enough to hold milk packages/bottles, newspaper layers, and dry ice
• Cardboard or cardboard box
• Duct tape for sealing coolers after inspection if needed
• Shipping labels per carrier instructions
• Markers
• Old newspapers, paper, paper bags for grouping and added insulation
• Large zip lock bags
• Dry ice
• Gel packs
• Gloves and/or tongs
• Mallet or hammer, regular screwdriver, or ice pick for breaking up the block of dry ice
• Paper and paper bags

Please see the video below on how to pack milk for shipping.

Transcript.

Shipping with dry ice ^{2 3}

• Please review these safety precautions.
• Determine the amount/weight of milk to be shipped and purchase a fitting Styrofoam or another type of insulated cooler which does not have a complete sealing lid. It is important that dry ice is able to vent the carbon dioxide gas which results from warming. It is best to then place the cooler in a cardboard shipping box for ease of labeling and reduction of the chance of the lid being dislodged and losing the contents.
• Locate the nearest dry ice dealer by asking at the local convenience store, grocery store, etcetera, or by consulting the dry ice directory.
• Bring an appropriate-sized cooler to carry the dry ice in. Ask or confirm the appropriate amount of dry ice needed. Be sure to have the cooler and milk ready to pack as soon as possible so that the dry ice does not evaporate while preparing the milk.
• Break up a small amount of dry ice into a flat sheet or into small chunks and spread evenly in the bottom of the cooler. Begin layering the milk evenly without packing it tightly. Milk can be put in paper bags for easy grouping of milk by month or volume, for insulation, and for easy taking out of the cooler. Place the oldest milk into the cooler first, and the freshest milk on the top. This way the oldest milk is placed into the freezer last and positioned to be used first while cutting down the amount of handling and potential for thawing or damage.
• If shipping a large quantity of milk, layer milk, dry ice, 우유, etcetera to ensure that all the milk has an even freeze for the duration of shipment.
• If the milk and dry ice do not fill the entire cooler (or if shipping glass bottles), loosely crumple packing paper or paper grocery bags and use them to fill in all remaining space to keep the milk securely packed and provide some additional internal insulation.
• Break any remaining dry ice into small pieces. Spread or sprinkle it into the cooler, making sure that it is filling in the empty spaces/top of the cooler.
• Once the dry ice, 우유, and any necessary packing are in the cooler, place the lid securely on the cooler. Placing a piece of tape across the top of the cooler (one across the length and one across the width, making an “X”) will secure the lid adequately for shipping. Do not seal the seam of the lid.
• Place the cooler in the cardboard box, again loosely packing paper to fill any space that would prevent the cooler from shifting a lot within the box. Make sure that the top of the packing box is securely shut with heavy-duty packing tape while still allowing movement of gas from within the cooler. If the shipping company does not provide a label for perishables, make one from a red piece of construction paper or note card. Clearly write “PERISHABLE – BREASTMILK” on a couple of labels and if using containers rather than bags, indicate which direction is up.

Shipping with gel packs

• As with the dry ice packing, place a layer of frozen gel packs on the bottom of the cooler. Begin layering milk, starting with the oldest milk on the bottom, and the freshest milk on the top. This way the oldest milk is placed into the freezer last and positioned to be used first while cutting down on the amount of handling and potential for thawing or damage. If sending a large quantity of milk, alternate layers of frozen milk and gel packs. If there is space left on the top of the cooler or along the sides, place the loosely crumpled paper in these spaces to secure the milk for shipping.
• Place the cooler in the cardboard box, again loosely packing paper to fill any space that would prevent the cooler from shifting a lot within the box. Make sure that the top of the packing box is securely shut with heavy-duty packing tape while still allowing movement of gas from within the cooler. If the shipping company does not provide a label for perishables, make one from a red piece of construction paper or note card. Clearly write “PERISHABLE – BREASTMILK” on a couple of labels and if using containers rather than bags, indicate which direction is up.

Below is a picture of the end result:

For making your own box:

• Create an insulated box with a styrofoam container and a cardboard box. Cut and tape the Styrofoam box with duct tape if needed. Do not tape the lid shut!
• Use styrofoam from an appliance store and cut it to fit a box. Again, do not tape the lid shut!

Next section: Transit time

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1. Stanford Medicine – Shipping Breastmilk ↩︎
2. For insulated shipping boxes in the US, please visit Uline – Insulated Shipping Kits, Cameron Packaging – Foam Insulated Boxes, or ask friends, family, and local Buy Nothing groups as there are usually plenty there. ↩︎
3. For shipping with dry ice in the US, please visit dryiceInfo 그리고 ShipStation ↩︎