Fruit & Vegetable Harvesting

Plastic containers and crates for fruit and vegetable harvesting

Totebox plastic crates and bulk boxes can help fruit and vegetable growers and distributors to maintain quality of fresh produce, protect produce from damage, reduce packaging waste and save money during harvesting and distribution.

Totebox agricultural containers include ventilated sides for optimum air flow. This helps to keep produce fresh and in prime condition during harvesting. Ventilated containers also quicken the cooling of contents in fridges and chilled transport, this helps to further maintain product quality in storage and distribution.

Curved corners and smooth sides promote hygiene and protect fragile fruit and vegetables, ensuring that damage is avoided during harvesting and distribution.

Carboard trays and wooden crates are the traditional packaging method for transporting fruit and vegetables, but have their limitations in terms of capacity, durability and storage. They pose issues with water retention, which can damage more delicate produce such as stone fruits leading to losses even at the early harvesting stage, while water retention also affects tare weights, giving varying readings according to climate and humidity, an important factor for suppliers paid by weight of produce. When not in use, wooden crates will deteriorate if stored outdoors so take up valuable indoor storage space. Cardboard trays are also liable to collapse during distribution, especially if they are wet or damp.

With an anticipated lifespan in excess of 10-years, Totebox plastic crates provide a more environmentally robust solution, capable of making many thousands of trips before being recycled at the end of their working lives. As an additional benefit over single-trip packaging, many models can also be nested when empty to maximise vehicle fill on return journeys and thus reduce carbon emissions.

180^o Stack Nest Crates

Totebox 180^o Stack Nest containers securely stack when loaded and nest, by turning through 180^o, to save valuable space on return transport.

180° stack-nest crates are strong and tough, making them ideal field harvesting containers. Shallow models are more suited to fragile produce such as leafy salads, tomatoes and berry fruits. Taller crates are ideal for root vegetables and top fruit.

Ventilated Euro Stacking Containers

Totebox supply a wide range of Euro stacking containers based around a standard 600 x 400mm footprint.

Euro stacking containers feature vertical sides for greater storage volume. Supermarket and 180° crates feature tapered sides to facilitate nesting and, consequently, have a slightly reduced capacity.

Euro stackers are modular, meaning that containers of different sizes inter-stack to form compact handling and distribution loads. 600x400mm models stack 2-up (side-by-side) on 800x600mm containers, 400x300mm models stack 2-up on 600x400s, etc.

Euro stacking containers also make ideal field crates with small, shallow models ideal for delicate produce and larger crates for more robust produce.

Bulk boxes

Totebox bulk containers are hygienic, strong and stable, stacking up to eight high carrying a 700Kg unit load – a combined load of 5.6 tonnes. Smooth surfaces and curved corners, free from dirt traps, are quick and easy to clean and protect contents from damage

Bulk containers are available in both solid and ventilated versions and are particularly suited to harvesting potatoes and top fruit.