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Moving fresh fruits and vegetables safely and quickly from farmers’ fields to consumers’ fridges requires a significant amount of packaging, much of which ends up in landfills. But there is a new option now. The new Rapid Roper Sustainable Load Containment System from the Rapid Technologies Group, an operating division of Allied Packaging Inc., can reduce or eliminate the need for cornerboards and strapping for unitizing. This enhances sustainability by cutting economic and environmental waste.
For its sustainability achievement, this containment alternative to pallet cornerboards and strapping has been named a finalist in the Innovation in Design Optimization category for the 2021 SPC Innovator Awards from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
Rapid Roper is designed to optimize the handling of fresh produce and other products requiring ventilation. By using its proprietary Rapid Film Ultra Strength Stretch Film and a unique cross-web application, the Rapid Roper System efficiently contains loads while maintaining air flow and ventilation vital to ensuring proper transportation and storage of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The savings can be remarkable. In a typical citrus facility operation outputting 500 pallets per day year-round, Rapid Roper can achieve:
• 75% greater load stability that helps reduce the probability of load failures and subsequent food waste. • 72% reduction in packaging material costs related to less use of stretch film, strapping, cornerboards, and lower landfill tipping fees. • 91% reduction in packaging waste, primarily through the elimination of corner boards and strapping. • At least 50% reduction in greenhouse gas generation. The savings is a combination of reduced material usage and significantly enhanced throughput savings.
Photo supplied by Rapid Technologies Group
Additionally, Rapid Film is recycle-ready. Customers are currently recycling it back into industrial films used for wraps and bags. Thus, non-recyclable palletizing materials can be eliminated.
Bob Kayser, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Rapid Technologies, says, “To put things into perspective, 8 ounces of our Rapid Film does the job of 5.4 pounds of typical stretch wrap, strapping, and cornerboards, for a material reduction of 91%, and a cost reduction of 72%. For a typical facility wrapping 500 pallets a day, this equates to annual material savings of 717,000 pounds and $336,000 per facility.”
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