(From left to right) Peter Piccioli, Hugo Ramos and Jose Carlos Beltran from Macro Plastics.
The bin is part of a new line of products where the boxes can be stacked nested once empty, which cuts down on costs when moving from one destination to the next. Traditional ag bins are solid which makes them very expensive to move, which was the challenge that Macro set out to solve. After reaching its destination, and emptied, the bin easily disassembles, and the bin bases and bin baskets nest into each other, the columns of the bin can fit inside the layers of nested baskets, so you get a returnable bin.
Hybrid 44 Plastic Series bin.
"The hybrid bin is a great solution because it can replace the wooden bins, which typically couldn’t be returned and people couldn’t find a use for them at destination. They were also often poor quality, chosen because they were cheap, just to get the product to the destination. It is a very wasteful way to ship. The bin is very light, cutting down on transport costs and the fact that you can use it for multiple shipments makes it even more affordable." shared Hugo Ramos, Business Development Manager for Macro Plastics.
The newest version of the bin, the short shipper, is set to come out on the market in April of this year. The short shipper is a shorter version of the current model which came out in July 2016, and is better suited for more delicate fruits. The shorter bins are ideal for delicate citrus such as mandarins, and tangelos, often shipped from destinations such as Peru. The original bin is often used for apples to the US and Canada from far off destinations such as Chile or New Zealand, where the customer will ship the bins back empty.
The Short Shipper (left) next to the Hybrid 44.
Apples, citrus, melons, pineapples, onions, sweet potatoes, potatoes, bananas and mangoes are the current applications for the Hybrid 44 bin. Along with transport, the bins are also being used for banana ripening, while in the ripening rooms before the bananas are processed.
According to Ramos, the new hybrid bins are revolutionary when compared to traditional bins. When you consider the fact that the designs for traditional bins that you see in Europe and in other places, are at least 15 years old, with many designs as old as 30-40 years, it is time for the next generation.
Macro Plastics is currently active in all of the Americas, Oceania, and parts of Asia such as the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia. The company is also working on trials in Europe and South Africa and looking to venture into other markets around the world.
For
more information:Hugo Ramos
Macro Plastics
Tel: +1 859 433 3430
Fax: +1 707 437 1201
Email: hramos@macroplastics.com
www.macroplastics.com