Plastic containers are not just beneficial for Fresh Produce itself but also handling & storage

Designed to make handling easier, the Marco Plastics’ bin are considerably lighter than wood, this increases ease of handling by the workers on the farms and forklift trucks.

Workers only handle bins when they need to be turned or pushed into place unlike wood where there is more effort required.

Shaped feet and 4 way entry improves movement when forklifts are being used around the factory and warehouse. This improves productivity especially when the process involves 2 lifts, the second lift can be made faster and simpler from 90 degrees.

Shipping and storing is another fantastic feature of the Macro Bins as they can be nested therefore reducing space and costs. The design allows for three bins to be nested inside each other. As you can see from the video, one bin can be stored on its side inside another. Then a third can be flipped upside down and slotted on top to form a box. As a result, it reduces space and cost by a third compared to wooden bins.

Outstanding durability, built to withstand impacts that would ruin a wooden bin. Being on a farm and being handled by heavy machinery there are going to be instances of heavy impact. As the bin is built to withstand more than wood that reduces the costs of repairs and replacements. The Macro Bin can be repaired through hot air welding, a cost effective method that extends the life of the bin, something can’t be done with wood. The plastic that Macro Bins are made from are UV resistant therefore can be stored outside in warm climates without having to worry they are going be damaged.

Then when you do eventually reach a point when you would like to replace the bin they can be recycled, which you will be able to receive a fee for. So not only is the bin cost effective to purchase and use but at the end of its lifecycle it provide revenue. 

Keeping fruit fresher for longer with Macro Plastic bins

In an age when customers want the freshest fruit and vegetables possible all year round, growers are required to step up to these demands which the market dictates to them.

As with all areas of business, when demands change you need to keep with the market and to do that your practises and tools need to evolve over time.

In order to, provide customers with fresher apples that have a longer shelf life Crane & Crane are now using plastic bins throughout their growing process instead of wood.

Ventilation is key to keeping the fruit fresher forlonger.  The fruit cools more rapidly in storage in plastic, producing a better piece of fruit in terms of appearance and taste. Crucially, this enhances its shelf life which in turn reduces waste and costs.

As opposed to wood, that Crane & Crane were using previously, the plastic containers have ventilation holes throughout. Ventilation and the cooling process are vital for Crane & Crane in America due to the climate. There is an increased need for the quick cooling methods in the orchards and farms across southern Europe and Asia too due to the warm climate all year round. These slight adjustments from wood to plastic can benefit the bottom line of the business by reducing costs.

In order for Crane & Crane to supply apples globally all year round they have the world largest cooling facility. Storage is a key area of their operation and the plastic bins play a large role in this process.

The plastic bins stack and store a lot better than wooden bins. Crane & Crane are impressed with the interlocking design as the bins can be stacked higher than wooden and are a lot safer. This improves the handling process and productivity whilst storing the apples, reducing the time the forklift drivers need when ensuring bins are stacked correctly. All they have to do is line them up, send them down and the bins lock into place in a straight stack.

Crane & Crane have invested money in this as they saw see a benefit to their consumers and customers which naturally benefited their business.

Everything comes back to quality which has never changed over the decades they have been producing apples. What has changed is how they deliver that quality. One of these changes has been the move to Macro Plastics’ bin. 

“The Bin of the future” - Dubois Agrinovation

From harvest, handling and storage in the field, warehouse and factory, the Macro Bin is exactly what Dubois Agrinovation have been looking for.

Dubois Agrinovation calls it “the bin of the future” because “quality products require quality containers”.  The bins are made of high resistant injection moulded plastic, meets all the modern requirements of food product handling.

1.       Food product handling

2.       Food quality preservation

3.       Environmental health

4.       Ease of handling

5.       Durability / impact resistance

6.       Work safety

The Macro Bin preserves quality during and after harvest which is something wood could offer but only to a certain standard. The quality requirements by customers and consumers of fresh produce are on a continuous rise, wooden bins can no longer fulfil these requirements.

A key point to make is that the top lip and corners are round which reduces bruising and damage to the produce compared to wood. With ventilation slots on 4 sides and base, cooling becomes more efficient with constant air flow and products will remain fresher longer.

It is easier to create more uniform stacks leaving gaps between each stack which increases air flow during storage helping to maintain an even temperature in all bins.

The cleaning process is a lot easier than wooden bins, disinfection is also made a lot simpler as the plastic is non-porous which is FDA approved. No chemicals or water are absorbed ensuring no organisms or pathogens can be carried like wood which reduces the risk of contamination of the produce.

When it comes to food quality and safety it has to be plastic bins over wood!

Crane & Crane continuously strive to make improvements to the safety and quality standards they have on their 1000 acre farm in Washington. As a global supplier of over 7 million apples per year, need to ensure that they get the right produce to the customers globally all year round.

In order to improve their safety and quality standards, they have moved the whole farm from old wooden bins that have been used for decades to Macro Plastics’ bin. This has transformed their operations from the orchard to the warehouse through to storage.

You can see in the video how moving to 100% plastic has instantly helped improve the quality of their fresh produce.

With fresh produce now being required all year round on a global scale food safety is taken very seriously throughout the system. Plastic bins offer far better safety standards that wooden bins cannot provide.

The bins are non-porous meaning that they can be cleaned and sanitised a lot easier than wood. They won’t harbour pathogenic or spoilage organisms.

The plastic bins flex less than wooden bins that Crane & Crane have used previously. This gives the content more protection when they are being transported around the farm the orchards and into storage. This considerably reduces the risk of bruising, improving quality levels and reducing waste. 

The Hybrid Bin is coming to Interpoma, Bolzano – The capital of Apples in Europe

Next week I will be exhibiting the Hybrid Bin from MacroPlastics at the Interpoma trade show in Bolzano, Italy.

Where better to exhibit and demonstrate this market leading packaging solution than in Europe’s largest apple growing region.

The Hybrid Bin is a perfect fit for Interpoma, a revolutionary product improving the efficiency of the transportation of apples. The aim of the show is to act as a forum for the latest trends and products; the Hybrid Bin is where the fresh produce is going.

The Hybrid Bin is the first of its kind, merging plastic and wood for the first time to bring the logistics of fresh produce into the 21^st century.

The freshness and taste are the two fundamentals when consumers are purchasing fresh produce. Therefore, handling and packaging are integral to maintaining the quality of apples.

I will be exhibiting the Hybrid Bin at the Interpoma trade show in Bologna from the 20^th -22nd November. This is a perfect opportunity for the apple growers in the region to see the Hybrid Bin first hand, giving you a clear idea of how this product can perform for your business.

Had enough of the old wooden bins and cardboard? Are they no     longer suitable for your needs?

The perforations on all sides of the bin reduce the cooling time considerably quicker than those that are in wooden and cardboard bins. The reason behind this is to maintain consistent air flow through the apples during the storage process; this aids the quality and shelf life of the apples. With increased attention being paid to hygiene standards, using plastic makes it easier to clean and maintain therefore reducing contamination compared to cardboard which absorbs moisture.

Removing cardboard or wood from your packaging process allows you to reduce your costs through a longer life cycle and reduced waste of a plastic alternative. The Hybrid Bin has an increased pack out which is another financial gain in terms of transport costs. The Hybrid Bin can be safely nested into stacks and removed from the wooden frames, reducing space and costs on the return journey back to the grower.

The Hybrid Bin is the first of its kind on the packaging market and has been designed with the fresh produce growers’ needs at the forefront of the process. 

I look forward to attending Interpoma this week and meeting the fresh produce growers in Bolzano and being able to showcase a product that can transform their packaging and logistics of their goods.

What are you looking for from Fruit Attraction this year?

As a fresh produce grower you will no doubt be looking for solutions to the issues that you have had for a long time. You may have come across solutions that have ticked some of your boxes but not all of them, so you have decided against looking into it further.

Now, this has changed in the shape of the HybridBin. A product that caters for all a fruit and vegetable grower could want from their returnable packaging solution.

The detail that has gone into the design of the HybridBin has allowed Macro Plastics to produce a revolutionary packaging solution.

I will be exhibiting the HybridBin at the Fruit Attraction trade show in Madrid from the 15^th -17^th October. This is a perfect opportunity for fresh produce growers to see the HybridBin first hand, giving you a clear idea of how this product can perform for your business.

Have you been meaning to look for a new returnable solution for your produce but not got round to it?

Had enough of the old wooden bins? Are they no longer suitable for your needs?

Well, the Fruit Attraction show is a fantastic opportunity for you to invest some of your time in getting to know what the HybridBin can do compared to your existing bulk bin solution. The HybridBin is the first product of its kind to merge wood with plastic with the fundamental aims concentrating on a return on investment and improve the quality of produce delivered to the buyers.

The HybridBin is set to transform the way the fresh produce industry transports their goods and the results they can produce in this increasingly competitive market.

Feel free to visit the Macro Plastics’ stand in Hall 3 Stand 3F05C. I will be more than happy to answer any of your questions and talk you through the product.

Keep Up With the Fresh Produce Industry

An industry as competitive as the fresh produce market requires innovative solutions to feed the requirements that growth demands.

I will be exhibiting the HybridBin, the latest product to come out of Macro Plastics, at the Fruit Attraction trade show from 15^th -17^th October in Madrid. Macro Plastics have delivered the most innovative packaging solution to be seen on the fresh produce market, with combination of plastic moulded bins and wooden frames.

The Fruit Attraction trade show is the perfect venue to showcase the HybridBin. The fruit and vegetable market in Europe is the ideal location for the HybridBin to be put to use and experience the results it can provide for growers that wooden crates can’t.

With demand continuously increasing the need to move large quantities and reduce timescales are two of the important requirements of fresh produce buyers. Two requirements that are beyond wood. Two requirements that the HybridBin can deliver on.

The Macro Plastics stand will be in Hall 3 on Stand 3F05C, I will be at the trade show for the duration from 15^th – 17^th October. If you would like more information on the HybridBin come along to the stand I can explain to you exactly what the bin can do for your supply chain.

Having visited Eurasia Packaging in Istanbul, Macfruit in Italy and the London fresh produce shows the HYBRID is unique in its design and concept and there is nothing to touch it for value and innovation. Probably the only really new Returnable packing product you will see at Fruit Attraction.