- An expanded polypropylene (EPP) tote offers outstanding insulation helping to reduce food wastage
- They are easy and comfortable to handle and their lightweight reduces carbon emissions and transportation costs
The weekly food shop is now all about convenience. Today’s digitally connected consumers want to take punctual online home delivery at a time that suits them. This is why all major UK supermarkets now have online shopping options where anyone has the option to click and collect or have their groceries delivered to their door, and EPP totes are an excellent fit for that application.
To ensure this growing market delivers fresh unspoiled produce online retailers are utilizing reusable EPP totes trays and EPP tote liners that can seamlessly be integrated throughout their automated supply chains to facilitate super-efficient picking, packing and delivery.
Expanded Polypropylene is a hygienic material and is food contact safe so bagging is not necessary. It is washable, reusable and offers excellent insulation all the way from supermarket or fulfillment center picking to the customer’s front door. An EPP insulated tote ensures exceptional food quality upon delivery even if the tote has been subject to temperature shock that could occur during a summer heat wave, extended delivery times or delivery vehicle breakdowns. Cushioning properties of EPP also help to dampen any bumps that fresh groceries could be prone to throughout the supply line.
An insulated EPP tote liner can be molded precisely to fit any current tote system and tailored to infrastructure already in place. They are available in a variety of colors to support retailer’s brands and/or color coding requirements.
EPP totes are durable and have a long lifecycle which helps to prolong or avoid the need to manufacture replacement product that would consume new raw material, energy and the labor of creating a new product. Totes that eventually fail at the end of their useful life are fully recyclable.
The use of an EPP tote is not however limited to the food retail they also have applications to help protect fragile electronics and pharmaceuticals. DS Smith Plastics Foam Products can help retailers optimize their supply chain with a focus on efficiencies and handling ergonomics.
DS Smith Plastics, Foam Products have been manufacturing temperature controlled packaging since 1982 and stock a wide range of reusable, insulated boxes online under the brand JB Packaging. Their insulated food shipping boxes come in many sizes and are suitable for catering and e-commerce food deliveries.