Sustainable pallet boxes with a wood structure, as well as cardboard, are now indispensable from the fresh produce sections of many supermarkets. For about eight years, Paletten Concept, based in Lower Saxony's Kirchlinteln, has acted as the marketing and service partner of the Spanish company Greenbox S.L. Besides the Spanish melon and citrus range, this efficient and sustainable solution has now been expanded to many other products, according to Hanke Seegers, Managing Director of Paletten Concept Ltd.
Greenbox displays have been around for melons for many years.
As the exclusive partner of Greenbox S.L. for the German market, Paletten Concept handles the entire service around the boxes, from delivery to collection after use and reuse. After use, the cardboard is disposed of, and the wood and plastic components are dismantled. Seegers: "We collect the pallets and either clean them or recycle them if they are defective. The wood structure is also reused. We relieve the retail branches by taking care of their empty goods. At the same time, we take over the complete service around the empties for Greenbox, so they only have to worry about marketing. We then essentially buy back the material, after which the cycle starts again."
The boxes are already being used for snack tomatoes in cups.
"The goal is to increase the use of the boxes in Germany and extend their application to local produce. We have already partially succeeded in doing this by now applying the solution to cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and apples. There was also an increased demand for edible pumpkins last year. Ultimately, it's also an eye-catcher: The cardboard can be individually designed." Furthermore, Seegers points to the efficiency of the process: "The boxes are stackable, dimensionally stable, and have a light wood structure. This is especially important during transport. For instance, a Düsseldorf pallet is much more unstable. In this respect, we have a clear competitive advantage."
Application for pumpkins.
Citrus fruits in the Greenbox display: The basic dimensions correspond to half a Euro pallet and can be designed with various heights, 50, 70, and 100 cm, depending on the application.
Images: Paletten Concept GmbH
For more information:
Hanke Seegers
Paletten Concept GmbH
Stellmannskamp 8
27308 Kirchlinteln
Tel.: +49 4236 999650
www.greenboxsl.com