Undoubtedly, plastic is one of the versatile materials used by almost all industries and in a wide variety of products. It has changed the purpose of storage, display items, and transportation as well. Packaging vegetables and fruits are one of the significant steps in the complicated journey from grower to consumer. Plastic vegetable crates are convenient containers that are utilized for handling, protecting, transporting, and marketing the bulk of fresh produce from one place to another.
Crates are not only the source for holding and transporting goods and fresh produce from one place to another. There are many other types of packaging, including bags, hampers, cartons, baskets, bulk bins, and palletized containers, which are also used for transporting produce.
A few years back, wood-made crates were famous for storage and transportation purposes. But now, plastic has successfully taken the place of wooden and other materials. More than 15k types of packages are used for transporting produce, and this is not the final figure as the industry is continuously introducing new packaging materials and concepts.
Plastic crates are used for various purposes, from which one is storing and transporting fresh vegetables and fruits. These crates or containers are popular among growers as they can minimize postharvest losses of fresh fruits and vegetables that may occur due to their move. Vegetable crates come in different sizes, weights, capacities, and dimensions. Some are listed below:
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Large Vegetable Crates:
It has vented sides and a smooth interior, which can protect fresh fruits and vegetables and can handle years of use. They can be stacked without damaging other crates and are easy to load on the truck. These crates are used by big growers as they are best for transporting crops, including tomatoes, onions, cabbage, etc.
Medium Vegetable Crates:
Its features are similar to large vegetable crates, but these are light in weight than large crates. These containers are solid, durable, handle years of use, and can be stacked easily. Medium vegetable crates are equipped with a heavy-duty plastic material that is vented from all sides and has a smooth interior. Stacking these crates is effortless, and these crates can be efficiently and easily loaded onto the trucks.
Small Crates:
These are small in size and are used by medium growers and smallholders. All other features are the same, like medium and large crates. Small crates are light in weight yet made from a durable and heavy-duty plastic material. Their high-quality construction ensures that these can handle years of use if used properly. These are mostly used for transporting fresh fruits and vegetables from one place to another.
Nestable Crates:
These are also known as stackable harvest crates. Stackable harvest crates are so easy to load and unload from the trucks, extremely durable, and are best for storing fresh produce to keep it cool as these crates feature ventilated holes in it. Plus, these crates also have a smooth interior and are equipped with small holes for providing maximum cooling. And because of their small size and lightweight ability, these are extremely effortless in stacking. You won’t feel any trouble while loading these lightweight crates onto the truck. Additionally, the best part about these small containers is that it can easily be store in small spaces without taking much of the space.
The benefits of using plastic containers, pallets, and crates are countless as these are extremely advantageous for companies vary from small to large. Business owners are taking maximum advantage by using these plastic crates for the safest transport of vegetables and fruits from one place or one region to another. Research shows that using these crates has successfully minimized postharvest losses from 40%. The best benefit of these crates is that they can be reused more times.
Plastic vegetable crates help to transport vegetables in a safer manner while reducing bruising, crushing, and other types of damages. Plus, these crates are less fragile as compared to cardboard and wood crates that are able to absorb and produce moisture.