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.

The Hybrid Bin taking Hygiene and Product Quality Standards to the Next Level

Supermarkets and fresh produce retailers are striving for fresher produce and higher quality standards. Alongside this is food hygiene and protecting the goods.

Macro Plastics’ Hybrid Bin are made from virgin polypropylene, FDA approved plastic certified for safe use with food products. So not only are they safe, the Hybrid Bins are environmentally friendly which is another key element of the fresh produce market today. Also this provides a residual value to the product at the end of its life cycle as they can then be recycled.

Safety, hygiene and quality are three key components that we at Macro Plastics have concentrated on in the design of the Hybrid Bin. Ventilation and the ease of cleaning and maintaining were high on the agenda.

The Hybrid Bin comes with ventilated surfaces and solid surfaces. The ventilated bin is available to the fresh produce and citrus markets and the solid hybrid is ideal for the juicing and meat industries as well as other markets. 

The ventilated version of the bin allows the products to cool as quickly as possible ensuring there is a constant air flow throughout the product therefore increasing product life.  The ventilation slots are coupled with nonporous surfaces to reduce liquid absorption leading to fresher produce resulting in better quality and longer shelf life, exactly what fresh produce retailers crave.

The surfaces and rounded corners of the Hybrid bin are designed to reduce the risk of damage from bruising and improve the quality of the product when it is delivered to the processor or packer/ retailer. Also, the Hybrid Bin is easy to clean and sanitize, this improves hygiene standards reducing the risk of contamination from different products.

The Hybrid Bin delivers on all of these areas to levels that wood has never been able to achieve, this is the perfect way for the fresh produce to move forward in terms of bulk packaging in the supply chain.

Macro Plastics is able to offer the opportunity of a free trial period to use the Hybrid Bin as a trial without yet making a decision from wooden bins. You can then see how the bin works and improve your efficiencies. 

Do away with your Cardboard Boxes

Where is the fresh produce market going in terms of packaging?

The two key questions that contribute to this are along the lines of – what do they require to grow and how you do you deliver on these requirements and make savings?

As a grower of fresh produce, how would you feel if you could transport your goods with using cardboard?

Cardboard is an age old packaging material that has been used to transport a whole manner of goods in all shapes and sizes.  Have you looked at alternative solutions that you could move to for the same costs but improve all round efficiency and quality?

Fresh produce are a delicate yet heave good to pack and transport. The durability of cardboard is an issue when weight is concerned.

The other concern with cardboard and its durability is when it is stacked or becomes damp. This then has a direct impact on the products it contains. These disadvantages can become quite costly both financially and to a company’s reputation.

An additional issue is freshness and quality that is essential for the customer. If the packaging is susceptible to collapsing or deforming when in transportation there is going to be a negative impact on the quality of the product as a result of damage which incurs costs. As cardboard boxes wither have solid surfaces or slight perforation at best and then an open top, therefore there is a restriction to the air flow which has a knock on effect in reducing the freshness.

At Macro Plastics we have an affordable one trip plastic merchandising box which goes straight onto the shelves of supermarkets. This is a direct alternative to the cardboard packaging, which is exactly what the supermarkets are looking for.

With the solution that we provide also fits in with the supermarkets desires of limited contact in the supply chain process. The application ensures that the produce is only touched once in the supply chain which is the grower before being purchased by the consumer. This removes the whole process of handling, which saves costs and reduces the chances of damage. A perfect alternative to cardboard.

Macro Plastics are continuously looking at how efficiency and quality can be improved, looking towards new plastic alternatives is continuously on the agenda.

Plastic is the packaging material of choice for the coming period of logistics. How would you like a packaging solution that provides the following elements?

·         Ensuring your produce is fresh for up to three days

·         Cooling produce 60% quicker than cardboard

·         Stop the crushing of products on the bottom layers

·         Zero contamination

·         Option for 100% recycle of reuse

·         Direct merchandising solution

Fruit Logistica – Hybridbin

Why is Plastic the material of choice? Why do we all love plastic bins for handling fruit?

The New Hybridbin by Macro Plastics caters for all the packaging requirements in order to help the agricultural industry deliver quality, fresh produce to their customer. I will be launching the new Hybridbin at the Fruit Logistica Exhibition in Berlin from the 5^th - 7^th February.

As Fruit Logistica is the world’s largest trade show for the fresh produce industry, there is no better venue to launch Macro Plastics’ latest product that is aimed at helping fruit and vegetable producers improving their storage and supply chain solutions.

Using plastic as the material of choice to store fresh fruit has far ranging benefits which contribute to the quality of the product when they are bought by the customer.

When it comes to packaging solutions we all know they have to fulfil all of the following areas of criteria –

·         Weight restrictions

·         Durability

·         Easy usage

·         Value for money

The Hybridbin is a light alternative to using cardboard which absorbs moisture adding to the weight. The weight of the Hybridbin also helps when it comes to weight restrictions in the transportation process, increasing capacity which in turn helps to reduce costs.

The Hybridbin allows you to make huge savings on transportation costs when they are being returned. The new bins are nested inside each other with the wooden frames folded down; this is opposed to rigid containers that are stacked which takes up a lot of space which all comes to a cost.

When the bins aren’t being used throughout the year, you are able to make great savings on space as they sit inside each other. This provides a strong stack ensuring they are safe and won’t topple over, which also adds a reduction in damages.

Plastic is a durable material to use in a supply chain which results in little maintenance and repair costs required. Plastic is therefore an option to increase productivity and reduce running costs.

The Hybridbin is easy to use and maintain in terms of sanitation and ventilation. Plastic is easy to clean and does not absorb liquid; both of these elements reduce the risk of carrying diseases especially as the fresh produce is a global industry.

The quality of fruit is dependent on the freshness when it arrives to the customer; the ventilation in the Hybridbin allows the produce to cool quickly keeping the fruit as fresh as possible. This is in comparison to cardboard that has solid surfaces where the only way of ventilation is the open top.

The Hybridbin by Macro is recyclable, this not only helps in terms of the environment and going green. This is beneficial to the fruit industry as there is a high residual value at the end of the products life. So not only is there a decrease in waste compared to using cardboard as a packaging material, by using a Macro Hybridbin there is added value in the form of income from recycling.

I will be introducing the Hybridbin at the Fruit Logistica exhibition in Berlin from 5^th -7^th February. This is a brand new product on the market that helps producers save money and improve the effectiveness of their returnable packaging solutions in the industry.

The Marco Plastics stand will be in the US Pavilion in Hall 23 Stand A03.

How can your supply chain be improved with the Hybridbin?

A packaging solution like the Hybridbin provides an edge over competitors as it moves the fruit supply chain into the 21^st century.

Cost savings are the obvious benefit, by purchasing the Hybridbin removes the continuous purchase of cardboard and wood. Other benefits include savings on storage costs, increased capacity, freshness of products as a result of the improved ventilation, bruise buffer to reduce damages and reduction in transport costs.

The Hybridbin brings together plastic and wood in an effective product that aims to transform the supply chain for fruit producers. The wood provides a structural frame adding support and the plastic is made from FDA-approved materials and has smooth surfaces and rounded corners helping to reduce damage to the products.

The Hybridbin also significantly reduces shipping costs both the frame and bins can be effectively stored on return. The plastic bins can be nested and the frames can be collapsed and shipped separately. This is in comparison to containers already on the market that are stacked as opposed to sitting inside each other.

The storage benefits are also in relation to storing the bins when they are not being used. As they can be nested it saves on the space as you are able to have more in a stack. The Hybridbin is also safer than other containers as the stacks are more rigid and the risk of them toppling over is considerably lower.

It is known within the industry that wood is a cheaper alternative but has its downfalls; this is the reason why Marco Plastics have merged together plastic and wood. This provides our customers with the best of both worlds. This is a cost-effective packaging solution that delivers quality products.

The Hybridbin is the most economical agriculture plastic bulk bin on the market ensuring efficiency improvements and high food safety standards. 

The Hybridbin will be launched at the Fruit Logistica exhibition in Berlin from the 5^th – 7^th February in the US Pavilion, Hall 23, Stand A03.