GoBox released for food and drink applications

Goplasticpallets.com has added two models to its extensive range of reusable plastic pallets and boxes.

Only available in the UK through Goplasticpallets.com, the GoBox 1210 Blue bulk storage container – which measures 1200mm (L) x 1000mm (W) x 760mm (H) – is suited to food processing companies who adhere to stringent hygiene standards, since its strong, rigid base and straight-sided walls make it easy to clean.

The GoBox 1210 Blue is used in a number of applications, from harvesting hard fruit and vegetables to meat handling and storing fats, oils and other food ingredients.

The box has been used by The Scottish Salmon Company for transporting and storing salmon between primary and secondary processing at its Stornoway plant.

Weighing 38.5kg it offers storage capacity of 670 litres, The Scottish Salmon Company is able to fill each GoBox 1210 Blue container with up to 475kgs of salmon with ice layered between the fish. Once packed, the boxes are refrigerated until the salmon is required for filleting. The boxes are then emptied, washed and sanitised, ready to be reused.

Customers can choose from a selection of colours for minimum orders of 130, and lids can also be supplied.

The GoBox 1210 Blue bulk storage container comes on three runners as standard (GoBox 1210 BBC) so it can be used in racking or stacked up to five high for the ultimate space saving solution, and a version is also available on four feet (GoBox 1210 BBA).

As Goplasticpallets.com holds a large volume of products in stock, depending on quantities required the GoBox 1210 Blue container is available for next day delivery in the UK.

Safe drinks handling

When it comes to drinks handling and distribution, Goplasticpallets.com is urging the UK beverage industry to follow Europe’s lead, not only by replacing wooden pallets with plastic ones, but by operating personally-owned plastic pallet pools. 

In mainland Northern Europe businesses have joined forces to collectively purchase pallets to use as a group, in more recent years buying durable plastic pallets in preference of traditional timber pallets.

Dranken Pallet Beheer (DPB) in Holland is a prime example. Founded in 1994, DPB is a jointly operated pallet pool of Dutch breweries and beverage manufacturers. Until fairly recently, 800,000 wooden pallets were circulating in the Dutch pool, but DPB was growing increasingly disgruntled since frequent handling was causing them to chip and splinter and exposure to moisture was causing mould growth, leading to costly repairs and high disposal costs.

In 2012, DPB decided to replace all of its wooden pallets with plastic ones and began searching to meet the following criteria: a lighter-weight pallet designed for high load capacity and repeated use that can be easily cleaned and is recyclable.

Belgium pallet manufacturer IPS – now named Cabka-IPS – came up with the solution by adapting one of its high quality heavy duty pallets to produce the BPPi9 beverage pool pallet, for which Goplasticpallets.com has sole distribution rights in the UK.

Designed exclusively for the beverage industry the BPPi9 beverage pool pallet is manufactured from recycled HDPE by using gas-assist low pressure injection technology, which creates internal cavities to ensure that the pallet remains light but exceptionally strong. Measuring 1200mm (L) x 1000mm (W) x 165mm (H) the robust pallet is capable of handling a static load of 7,000kg and a dynamic load of 1,500kg, which it can also support in high racking systems.

Weighing 21kg, the plastic beverage pallet weighs 23kg less than the wooden pallets DPB replaced, which not only facilitates handling but also reduces the cost of transportation, since truck loads are significantly lighter.

Six anti-slip strips on the top deck of the pallet ensure beverage containers and packaged goods remain firm and secure in handling. Extra wide openings between the pallet’s central blocks make it easier for forklifts to enter and leave the pallet, while eight grommets under the runners help secure the forks in place. In addition, four rubber grommets on the base prevent the pallet from sliding, providing superior safety during transportation.

This year a new brewery joined DPB’s pallet pool, leading to the purchase of 35,000 plastic beverage pallets to add to its existing pool of 400,000.