The returnable plastic crate became an ideal shipping method for the automotive industry where established closed loop systems existed between manufacturers. Opportunities to expand this system to shipments of other products such as food have evolved from that.
Crates are made in standard footprints and collapse for shipment. Washing and sanitizing is required after every use to meet the consumer standards for food shipments. With washing facilities hundreds of miles apart the economics of managing the freight is expensive and without quality control procedures to assure full compliance with the expectations of fully sanitized containers. Automation of handling and assembling crates in a packaging environment is problematic and expensive.
The corrugated industry is proud to supply custom designed packaging for each precious crop and full graphic presentation to support the marketing of food products. Traceability markings are easily applied to meet new regulations – and you avoid the carbon taxes related to excessive shipping.
