CHEP Australia and ALDI Australia have launched a new generation reusable plastic crate that will see fresh produce packed delivered directly to shop floors.

Launched on 23 August 2013, the new crate will revolutionise the retail of fresh produce in Australia in terms of delivering high-quality produce efficiently. The ‘Gen 3’ crate has a reduced fold down height of 25mm which allows up to 29% more crates to fit into a truck than previous generation crates have allowed, meaning fewer transportation trucks will be required.

The new on-the-pallet selling and recycling system also poses a potential threat to cardboard and other purchasing suppliers.

According to ALDI Queensland Managing Director, Viktor Jakupec, the ‘Gen 3’ crate will streamline processes and systems for ALDI’s suppliers.

“The new crate allows products to be packed directly on farm before being delivered to our warehouses and subsequently to stores, which reduces the amount of repacking and speeds up the process. The crate design allows it to fit directly into our new fresh produce display on the shop floor, which means less product handling and therefore a higher level of product quality. Instead of store staff having to pack products on tables within the produce area, the majority of products will remain displayed within the crates which will assist with better product rotation and minimise damage to the products through less handling,” Mr Jakupec said.

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