LINPAC develops protective transport packaging

A constant cause for concern for both industrial bakers and supermarkets is the damage to delicate food items during transit.

The problem costs bakers and retailers both in cash terms and their impact on the environment.

In response, Europe’s leading multi-material manufacturer, LINPAC Packaging, has developed an innovative new range of recyclable PET transport trays to significantly reduce the problem.

Currently, bakery products, such as iced doughnuts and buns, are packed inside traditional carton board boxes without separators for transportation to the retailer. Because of their delicate nature, the food items can only be packed one layer high which increases the transportation costs because of the empty space in each box.

However, despite efforts to minimise damage, products often arrive at their destination with the icing-coating cracked or missing and as a result, they rarely make it on to the shelf, at considerable cost.

The new transport tray from LINPAC Packaging, with its cavitised design and special rib architecture, keeps individual products protected and separate. By turning the trays through 180 degrees, up to three times as many products can be packed in an individual box than before.

The food packaging provides a far stronger protective environment for the products and by enabling more products to be transported in a single box, distributors can deliver more products in one trip, reducing costs and helping to limit carbon emissions.

Ian Perkins, business development manager for LINPAC Packaging, said: “Products such as doughnuts often come with delicate coatings and as with most products, presentation is key if the customer is going to pick the products and take them home.

“Up until now, distributors, packers and retailers have had to contend with a packaging solution that not only left products subject to damage in transit, but also resulted in a lot of wasted space and increased journeys.

“With our new transport tray, we’re confident we have created a solution which meets both of these costly problems; better protection for products resulting in better protection and less waste, combined with a reduced carbon footprint due to increased capacity and fewer journeys.

The key benefits of the new transport trays include:

The design of the new tray means that the empty trays stack together very closely thereby reducing delivery costs.

When the trays are filled with product and turned through 180 degrees the rib design ensures that the products do not touch one another from one layer to another.

Products can be packed 40 or 60 to a box rather than the current 20.

The increased payload in relation to volume saves on transport costs and reduced fuel consumption.

The trays are lightweight and can be recycled which offers further environmental benefits.

The robust design reduces the risk of damage during transit.

The new packaging is available in a range of colours including black and opaque so retailers can differentiate between product ranges.

The stylish trays can be used as point of sale display units as well as transport trays.

LINPAC Packaging is a leading supplier of food packaging products to the UK market, the company’s head office is in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, with manufacturing sites at Featherstone and St Helens, which supply products to the UK and Europe. The company is a multi material packaging supplier to the protein, bakery, fresh produce and foodservice markets across Europe and beyond, working with customers to offer consumer focused packaging solutions.

For further information about LINPAC Packaging call 01977 671111 or visit www.linpacpackaging.com