With their recyclable, space-saving and easy-to-clean plastic boxes and pallets, the Belgian sister companies show how high hygiene requirements and environmental compatibility during transportation and storage are not mutually exclusive, but can be easily combined.

The SF800 HYG and SF1000 HYG hygiene pallets from Smart-Flow comply with the highest hygiene regulations of the EU DIN plus standard, have been developed for use in sterile and antibacterial environments and are particularly suitable for the food, food processing and pharmaceutical industries. They are injection-molded from virgin polyethylene in Mouscron, Belgium, and are 100% recycled at the end of their service life and used as recyclate for the production of non-hygienic pallets and boxes.

SF800 HYG and SF1000 HYG have a closed lower and upper deck and the surfaces of the pallets are free from foreign bodies, splinters and other processing defects. Dust, water or other liquids roll off the smooth and grooveless surfaces, preventing dirt residues. They are also resistant to washing and disinfectants and can be cleaned at short-term temperatures of up to 90° Celsius to kill germs.

Robust and reusable
They are cold and heat resistant for the temperature-controlled transportation of sensitive goods and the special robustness enables long-term, sustainable reusability. The pallet variants with edges allow goods or containers to be transported in a particularly stable and non-slip manner. Rounded and reinforced corners and struts ensure safe handling. As plastic pallets are significantly lighter than the wooden versions, this also means a considerable physical relief for employees during storage and transportation.

Plastic boxes for food and pharmaceuticals
In addition to the hygiene pallets from Smart-Flow, sister company Gamma-Wopla offers a selection of hygienic plastic containers, which, according to the company, meet the highest standards of the food and pharmaceutical industries. And the same applies to the waterproof Gamma-Wopla containers: they can be cleaned hygienically without great effort and are suitable for numerous cycles.

Take the new P-6422 plastic box, for example. The product design, with as few grooves and perforations as possible, is tailored to the special needs of the agricultural and food industry and the goods are thus better protected against possible contamination. This foldable, lockable and reinforced box was developed for a Swiss retail customer who needs it for the safe transport of vegetables, fruit and other foodstuffs, such as yogurt and milk, between distribution centers and retailers.

The base also offers a 1-centimeter-high safety area for collecting liquids. This protects the stacked plastic boxes from possible contamination. The containers made of high-quality, durable plastic are stable and stackable and the ergonomic handles ensure particularly comfortable ergonomics during handling. The space-saving height of the folded box of 31 mm enables cost savings of 15 percent (this means an additional 1,200 boxes per truckload) during transportation. The reduced weight also means that fewer trucks are on the road and CO2 emissions can be reduced.

Michaël Cibois, Sales Director Gamma-Wopla SA, spoke about the advantages of plastic pallets and boxes in an interview.

© Gamma-Wopla

material flow: Mr. Cibois, the product portfolio of Gamma-Wopla and its sister company Smart-Flow includes numerous plastic load carriers for a wide range of applications and industries. Which products are currently most in demand?
Cibois:In the wake of corona and increasing awareness of hygiene, but also against the backdrop of growing sustainability awareness, we are seeing more and more requests for robust, recyclable, space-saving and easy-to-clean plastic boxes and pallets that meet the highest hygiene standards of the EU DIN plus standard.

mfl: What are the particular advantages of plastic in general and in relation to hygiene standards in particular?
Cibois : In contrast to containers and pallets made of cardboard or wood, the plastic versions are extremely robust and can be used for a very long time because the material is extremely resistant. Plastic containers and pallets are shock and impact resistant and because they neither splinter nor break, the risk of injury is much lower than with wooden products. They can be modified to meet customer requirements and adapted to create specific and functional solutions. By adding additives, for example, material strength, temperature resistance, properties and UV compatibility can be influenced. They are also moisture-resistant and up to 25 percent lighter than wooden pallets in damp conditions and always have the same weight and dimensions regardless of environmental influences. The significantly lower weight compared to the wood and metal versions also means a considerable physical relief for employees during storage and transportation. In view of the very high hygiene standards required by law in the food, food processing and pharmaceutical industries, the plastic load carriers also impress with their ease of cleaning. Dust, water or other liquids roll off the smooth and grooveless surfaces, preventing dirt residue. Smart-Flow hygiene pallets are also resistant to washing and disinfectants. They are resistant to cold and heat for the temperature-controlled transportation of sensitive goods and their special robustness enables long-term, sustainable reusability.

mfl: And how do your plastic boxes and pallets generally score when it comes to sustainability?
Cibois: All our plastic boxes are stackable and either foldable or nestable. The resulting space saving is up to 80 percent and sustainably reduces the costs and emissions for (return) transport and storage. for example, the new bi-color stackable container GEBI-6426 saves up to 80 % space when transported empty thanks to the possibility of stacking one inside the other. or the new plastic box P-6422: This foldable, lockable and reinforced box was developed for a Swiss retail customer. The space-saving height of the folded box of 31 mm enables cost savings of 85% to be achieved during transportation (this means an additional 1,200 boxes per truckload). The reduced weight also means that fewer trucks are on the road and CO2 emissions can be reduced.

All Gamma-Wopla and Smart-Flow products support sustainability by intelligently conserving resources. In addition to saving space, weight and transportation costs, they are permanently reusable and 100% recyclable. Because sustainability is in our family DNA: only high-quality premium material that meets the highest food standards is used to manufacture our plastic containers and hygiene pallets. At the end of their useful life, all our plastic containers and pallets can be bought back on request and used as recyclate for the production of new non-hygienic pallets. This is kind to the climate, conserves resources and reduces the carbon footprint.