| CPC B65D 81/3897 (2013.01) [B65D 65/466 (2013.01); B65D 81/3823 (2013.01); B65D 2577/00 (2013.01)] | 72 Claims |

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1. A method of providing a thermal environment to a payload transported and/or stored in a surrounding environment, comprising:
providing a packaging container having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface defines an interior of the packaging container;
providing a biotic material insulation medium comprising biotic material having voids within the biotic material, wherein the voids have a gas or gas mixture therein, and wherein the biotic material insulation medium has a permeance for oxygen of at least 15.6×103 LO2/(m2 atm d);
providing a mechanical structure;
positioning a payload in the interior of the packaging container;
positioning the biotic material insulation medium with respect to the payload such that the biotic material insulation medium is between at least a portion of the payload and the outer surface of the container;
positioning the mechanical structure with respect to the biotic material insulation medium such that the mechanical structure provides mechanical support to the biotic material insulation medium so that the biotic material insulation medium surrounds at least 50% of the payload; and
positioning the packaging container, with the biotic material insulation medium and mechanical structure, in a surrounding environment,
wherein the surrounding environment has a surrounding temperature that is (i) above, or (ii) below, respectively, a desired temperature range; and
wherein, when the packaging container, with the biotic material insulation medium and mechanical structure, is positioned in the surrounding environment such that the payload has a payload temperature within the desired temperature range, the biotic material insulation medium (i) reduces a rate at which the payload absorbs heat that transfers from the surrounding environment into the interior of the packaging container, or (ii) reduces a rate at which the payload dissipates heat that transfers from into the interior of the packaging container into the surrounding environment.
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