When you need to pack and store goods efficiently, picking the right material is important. Plastic corrugated trays are light in weight and long-lasting with a high level of customization that will be useful for your business no matter what industry you operate in.
1. What Are Plastic Corrugated Trays?
Plastic corrugated trays are made using corrugated polypropylene sheets which have two flat outer layers joined with the help of an inner fluted layer. These trays can be stiff even without the need for a solid plastic layer.
These trays are more resistant to water than normal cardboard trays and they can be used again and again. They are lightweight and hence you can use them for your storage and transportation of products in various industries. You can also customize the size, color, and design as per your customers’ needs.
2. Key Advantages of Plastic Corrugated Trays
2.1. Lightweight and Easy to Handle
The lightweight nature of PP corrugated trays is a key feature. Being hollow, these trays use less material but still remain rigid. In the case of your business, lightweight trays will be easy to handle, stack, and ship. To give an example, a sheet of size 1 m² with a weight of 500 g/m² will weigh around 500 grams before conversion.
2.2. Moisture Resistance and Easy Maintenance
Unlike cardboard trays, PP corrugated trays are water-resistant and will therefore be ideal for your environment. It is easy to clean appropriate trays between use, which will help you to maintain good organization. These trays will be good for your agricultural distribution and manufacturing requirements. But you need to establish material suitability and certification for your trays for food and chemical contact and high temperature washing.
2.3. Reusable and Cost-effective
If your business frequently needs to transport products from your warehouses to clients, PP reusable trays will help you decrease packaging expenses. If you have a tray that costs you $4 and you use it for five rounds of transport, you pay $0.80 for each of the round while the one-time cardboard tray will cost you $2 for one transport. How much you save will depend on various factors.
2.4. Recyclability and Material Efficiency
PP is recyclable if there are appropriate facilities. As per Eurostat statistics, in 2023 the amount of plastic packaging waste produced per person in the EU was 35.3 kg, out of which 14.8 kg was recycled. With the use of reusable PP corrugated trays, one can lower the amount of packaging waste. Your trays are recyclable too at the end of their lifecycle.
3. Applications Across Different Industries
Plastic corrugated trays can be adapted to suit various commercial and industrial purposes.
l Agriculture and Produce Distribution
You can use PP corrugated trays to organize and transport suitable agricultural goods. The moisture resistance property of the trays is beneficial when you are using them in handling produce in wet environments.
The dimensions and height of the trays’ sidewalls can be tailored to fit your different products. It is necessary to confirm whether the material and the product are compatible with direct food contact.
l Automotive Manufacturing
If you are an automotive manufacturer, you would require solutions to arrange the components during the manufacturing and transportation processes.
PP corrugated trays that are custom made can be tailored according to the size of the components, using dividers that will help separate them, reducing their contact. You can tailor the size of the tray depending on your manufacturing process.
l Electronics and Electronic Parts
As an electronic parts manufacturer, having organized storage will help with increased efficiency and product recognition.
ESD PP corrugated trays can be fabricated in a way that provides compartments for varied electronic components. If your products are susceptible to electrostatic discharge, then make sure that the right antistatic material is used in the manufacturing process.
l Warehousing & Logistics
Your warehouse requires packaging which would facilitate the process of inventory control and smooth movement of products.
PP corrugated trays can be made in such a way that they can match up with the shelves, containers, or any other handling systems you have. Consistent dimensions can make your life much easier for inventory control.
Such applications can provide you with the opportunity to offer customized packaging solutions to your customers.
4. How Long Do Plastic Corrugated Trays Last?
How long will your PP corrugated tray last? Its lifespan is based on thickness, quality of the material, weight, design, and how often you use it. Contrary to single-use packaging, you may re-use the same trays many times, lowering costs on replacements.
| Pattern of usage | Lifespan example | Things to take into account |
| Occasionally stored | 3-5 years | Store your trays indoors and protect them from sunlight. |
| Regular warehouse handling | 1-3 years | Watch out for damage due to continuous handling and stacking. |
| Continuous transportation | 1-3 years | Inspect your trays after continuous trips and loading. |
| Intensive industrial use | 6-12 months | Think about thicker sheets and improved design. |
| Outdoor usage | 6 months-2 years | Take into consideration UV-resistance and exposure to weather. |
This is just an estimate, not a guarantee of service life at all. It is important to understand that the service life of your trays depends on your working environment and the quality of material.
To find out your own service life of the tray, do some tests with the samples of trays and check your trays’ corners, folds and edges. In addition, you have to know your cost per trip. Your tray costs $5 and makes 25 trips; thus your initial packaging cost is $0.20 per trip without any other expenses such as cleaning and transportation.
5. Customization Possibilities for Your Business
PP corrugated trays allow customization possibilities in order to fit your packing needs and serve your clients better.
- Dimensions and thickness:Customize your trays as per your requirements by modifying their dimensions， including the length, width, height, and thickness.
- Colors and printing:Choose from various colors and print your logo, product details, or codes on your trays.
- Compartments and divisions:Create your trays with 2, 4, 6, or more compartments to segregate the parts and avoid their movement.
- Folding trays:Make your trays foldable to save your storage and shipping space up to 50-75% as per your design.
- Characteristics of material:Antistatic, UV blocking, or recycled materials can be some of the options that you can consider.
To be able to give you a quotation, make sure to state your product dimensions, load capacity, and order quantities like 500 or more trays with customization.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is there any way to stack the fully loaded trays without any danger to the products inside?
Yes, there are ways to do this by choosing pp corrugated trays with reinforced wire frames and plastic corner stacks. Additional construction helps to relieve the weight of your cargo from the trays, and this way, protects the whole pile of trays from being crushed.
Q2: Can you have an option to get your PP corrugated trays with protective lids?
Yes, you can pair your trays with suitable plastic corrugated lids which can be either detachable or hinged. This is the added feature which will ensure that your stored products are protected against dust and any splashing water and, at the same time, stackable.
Q3: Do PP corrugated trays come with drainage holes?
Yes. If your business requires anything involving wet produce, washing, or even exposure to open air, custom die-cut drainage holes can be supplied. This will ensure that any fluids or water trapped gets drained easily and helps keep everything dry.
Q4: Do PP corrugated trays have any handles?
Yes, you can get customized cut handle cuts or add handles made of plastic to the sides of your corrugated trays. It is an ergonomic design that ensures comfortable handling and lifting of your trays.
Q5: Would they give off any harmful gases or smells during storage?
No, you can use pp corrugated trays without fear of causing any smell to sensitive products like textiles or pharmaceuticals. The material is entirely non-reactive chemically and does not outgas anything, so your stored goods will be free from any smell of plastic.
7. Conclusion
PP corrugated trays provide the perfect solution that is lightweight, strong, and specially designed for your company. Taking into consideration all the factors that you need to keep in mind, you will be able to figure out the right product for yourself. Please feel free to contact us at PurePack for further information about your product requirements.
