Plastic News and Packaging Industry News South Africa

South African seafood producers will soon be able to ship their products in a more eco-friendly and  effective way when UK Group Tri-Pack and SA-based Ampaglas Plastics Group launch their innovative fish boxes at the Pro-Pak exhibition in Cape Town this month.

Both companies have over 30+ years experience in the plastics industry and have joined together to launch CoolSeal SA, a range of flat-packed 100% recyclable polypropylene boxes.  The CoolSeal range has been extremely successful in Europe, replacing the traditional expanded polystyrene box. The boxes are designed for the cold chain delivery of chilled fish and can be simply stacked or baled for collection/disposal after delivery.  The edges of the boxes are sealed through patented technology previously unavailable in South Africa. The sealed edges creates stronger, more hygienic packaging.
“This packaging is the greenest option on the market,” says Christo Pienaar, marketing manager of Ampaglas Plastics Group. “It’s extremely lightweight, which dramatically reduces fuel consumption during shipping…Companies will also be able to fit more boxes in cargo holds or trucks, which again translates into significant savings.”

Ampaglas believes that this development will offer a solution to South Africa ‘s increasingly stringent packaging waste regulations, as well as the financial and environmental implications of packaging disposal.
“CoolSeal SA boxes can be easily adapted to suit individual companies requirements, in terms of size and branding. The boxes can be screenprinted and modified according to each individual customer,” Pienaar goes on to say. “Boxes can be supplied in “stacker” form or with lids…the sky is the limit.”

Although the product is extensively used in the seafood industry to ship crayfish, shellfish and chilled whole/filleted fish, the boxes are also used to ship other products, including flowers. Recent tests by UK authority Seafish also found that the boxes’ perform extremely well compared to alternatives.
“People always doubt the insulation; but it is insulated by the trapped air in the product,” Stephen Clarke, MD of Tri-Pack states. “CoolSeal packed product will withstand several hours outside the cold chain.”