Fresh Produce & Logistics: Extending Shelf Life, Protecting the Crop

The Fresh Produce Challenge: Fighting Time and Damage

In the Fresh Produce sector, the packaging must actively work to extend shelf life while protecting delicate goods from bruising, moisture, and temperature shock. Every hour gained is a win, and every damaged item is a loss. Your packaging must seamlessly integrate with climate-controlled logistics, from the field to the chiller.

We specialize in engineering fibre-based solutions that manage the atmosphere inside the box, guarantee stacking strength under humid conditions, and reduce product losses due to transit damage.

The Technical Showcase: Performance-Engineered Formats

  • Harvest & Shelf-Life Management: Our ventilated harvest trays and high-stacking corrugated cartons are engineered for the critical first mile. By optimizing air circulation and vertical corner crush strength, we extend shelf life for soft fruits and prevent compression damage in high-density citrus and apple stacks.

  • Moisture-Resistant & Cold Chain RRP: Designed for the harshest environments. We utilize moisture-resistant coatings and board grades that prevent warping in hydro-cooled or iced environments. These RRP boxes are built for direct chiller placement, ensuring structural integrity for seafood, leafy greens, and "wet" produce.

  • Industrial Bulk & Octabins: For high-volume processing and automated tipping. Our bulk pallet bins (Octabins) provide maximum side-wall protection for heavy root vegetables and grapes. Engineered for durability, they withstand the stresses of mechanical unloading and long-range logistics.

Key Solutions for Produce Integrity

Our design focus solves the two most critical challenges facing the produce supply chain: environmental management and logistics durability.

Shelf-Life Management & Ventilation

Effective ventilation and moisture control are vital to regulating respiration and reducing decay in fresh fruit and vegetables.

  • Controlled Atmosphere Design: Precision-cut ventilation holes and slots are engineered based on the specific respiration needs of the crop (e.g., berries vs. leafy greens), optimizing air flow without compromising structural integrity.

  • Moisture-Resistant Coatings: Specialized waxes and barrier coatings applied to corrugated board prevent softening, maintaining stack strength even under high humidity, hydro-cooling, or during condensation events.

  • Rapid Cooling Compatibility: Designing materials that are safe and effective for high-speed cooling processes (like hydro-cooling) to lock in freshness immediately post-harvest.

Structural Integrity & Logistics Strength

Produce packaging often faces long transit times, high stack loads, and rapid handling. The structure must not fail.

  • High-Density Stacking Cartons: We use premium board grades and structural engineering to ensure maximum vertical strength, preventing crushing damage to delicate lower layers during palletization.

  • Pallet Stability Engineering: Custom dimensions and interlocking designs that optimize fit onto standard pallets, minimizing movement, vibration, and shifting during multi-modal transport.

  • Bulk Handling Bins: Large corrugated pallet bins and octabins designed for bulk harvest, offering robust side-wall strength for heavy produce like potatoes, apples, or citrus.

Retail Ready & Sustainability

Reducing environmental impact and improving in-store efficiency are key drivers for modern produce retailers.

  • Ventilated Produce Trays: Fiber-based, fully recyclable trays and punnets designed to replace single-use plastic, suitable for high-speed filling lines (e.g., tomatoes, stone fruit, berries).

  • Retail-Ready Produce: Designing outer packaging (RRP) for quick and easy placement on the shelf, minimizing labor costs for store staff while maximizing visual appeal.

  • Fibre-Based Replacements: Converting plastic crate systems to high-performance, single-use, 100% recyclable corrugated solutions.

Solutions Showcase: From Field to Shelf

Engineering for Scale: Hand-Erect vs. Machine-Erect

We maintain an extensive library of 8 primary tray designs across 15 industry-standard sizes, including high-volume footprints like 580x370x140mm and 380x280x135mm. Our tooling is optimized for the two primary operational workflows:

  • Hand-Erect Styles (Self-Locking): Quick-assembly designs for field or pack-house use. High-strength locking tabs ensure rigid structural integrity without the need for glue or machinery.

  • Machine-Erect Styles (Plunger/Glued): Engineered for high-speed automated lines. These trays provide maximum pallet stability and consistent folding precision for high-volume output.

Specialised Solidboard Solutions

For the most demanding environments, we offer High-Capacity Solidboard Trays (577mm x 367mm x 150mm).

  • The 20kg Meat Tray: Specifically engineered for the protein industry. These trays offer superior moisture resistance and the structural density required to handle 20kg payloads in chilled and frozen transit without compromising the stack.