When I heard about this innovation I was over the moon and could'nt wait to go and see the "Caja de Oro" RPC's in person and hear what IFCO Systems was saying themselves about their product! . So I hurried to their stand and was greeted warmly by their friendly and knowledgeable staff members. These containers are made from 100 % recyclable polypropylene . This container can be used at point of sale by the producer which saves time on repacking the bananas and waste disposal.
What is even better is that after use the RPC can be folded, collected ,checked ,cleaned and made available to the farmer for reuse. In storage when the RPC's full of bananas are stacked on top of each other the stacking weight is completely borne by the containers therefore protecting the bananas. IFCO Systems also claims enhanced cooling of the produce with their RPC's as optimal cooling can occur 30% faster and 40% more consistently than with using cardboard crates.Optimal ventilation also leads to a very uniform color .
This is a great product and I especially like that the crates can be sent back for cleaning to a high standard at the manufacturer who will also check for flaws . From the perspective of the small Caribbean farmer this may be too expensive for him/her to afford however it may not be too expensive for bigger farms who may be able to afford it . Also it is a necessary step to encourage farmers to use safer methods of packaging using clean and intact containers in transportation,packing and storage of their produce this time especially for bananas.
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