Ultrasonic Welded Plastic Corrugated Boxes

Ultrasonic welding of corrugated plastic boxes has solved a problem that produce growers and seafood distributors have been struggling with for decades: Weak glued joints of produce shipment boxes.

Have you ever had the glue on your produce box go bad on you? Perhaps your produce needs to be refrigerated or frozen and the glue cracks when you pick up the box. Or the glue gives way in the field when you are trying to load the freshly picked produce into the box for shipping.

The glue is the weak spot in your standard wax-coated cardboard or plastic corrugated boxes used for shipping produce and seafood.

Fortunately, technological innovation has the answer. Industry Plastic's Corrugated plastic boxes are not only impervious to moisture, but they are also welded together using ultrasonic welding instead of glue at the connection points.

At Industry Plastic, we would love to explain why and how ultrasonic welding has overcome the long-standing issue of box glue in the produce and seafood packing equation.

The Problem with Glued Boxes

Cardboard boxes are glued together. This is true of normal cardboard boxes, waxed lined cardboard boxes and even most plastic corrugated boxes used for shipping produce. However, glue has two major problems when it comes to industry efficiency and the safety of your produce.

1) The first is that glue is not recyclable. Even non-waxed cardboard boxes are more difficult to recycle because of the glue that holds them together.

2) The second problem is that glue can become brittle when chilled. So, refrigerated or frozen products can result in boxes that fall apart when lifted. That's bad for business on a number of levels.

Ultrasonic Welding is the Solution with Plastic Corrugated Boxes

Plastic corrugated boxes are the wax box alternative for produce and seafood packing. Plastic corrugated boxes are perfectly water resistant (say goodbye to soggy boxes in the field, in shipping, and in storage) and the joints are welded together using ultrasonic welding instead of glue. This makes them excellent produce shipping boxes capable of sturdy shipping and reduction of food waste.

What is Ultrasonic Welding?

Ultrasonic welding is when a high frequency sound wave is used to create mechanical vibrations in a material, which generates heat and melts thermoplastic materials together on a molecular level. The joint disappears because the edges are bonded so tightly that the molecules reform together into a single material piece.

One-Material = Ultimately Recyclable

Because plastic corrugated boxes are welded shut, there's no need for glue. This means that the box is 100% one type of plastic, which makes it a single-material item and ultimately recyclable. Recycling centers love boxes that are made of one material, making it a highly sustainable choice for produce packing.

This is a huge improvement on waxed cardboard, which is very difficult or even impossible to recycle. Even glued cardboard requires the glue to be stripped away in order to be recycled, so definitely not favorable.

Boxes With No Weak Point

Ultrasonically welded plastic produce boxes do not have a weak point. There's no glued joint in the box because the edges are welded together on a molecular level. This means the box is equally strong all the way around and will not give way, whether exposed to moisture or extreme temperature changes.

You can fill the boxes in the field, store them in a cooler or freezer, and haul them around without the risk of the box giving way like waxed cardboard boxes do.

Bonus Benefits of Ultrasonic Welded Plastic Corrugated Boxes

What are the other benefits of using ultrasonic welded plastic corrugated boxes as produce shipping boxes? We are proud to mention that this tech upgrade to shipping your produce offers more than just the opportunity to leave glue behind.

Plastic Weighs 50% Less Per Box

Corrugated plastic weighs 50% less than waxed corrugated cardboard. The wax and cardboard together are heavy and still collapse when moist, while corrugated plastic is stronger, and each empty produce box weighs 50% less than an empty waxed cardboard box.

Field Packing Durability

The majority of produce growers pack boxes directly in the field. Waxed cardboard gets dirty and can collapse when placed on moist soil during the packing process. They might rip or even get stuck together. Plastic boxes, however, are ideal for outdoor packing and rinse off easily when boxes are brought packed from the field. You can set the box down while you pack it, and it will be fine all the way to the retailer.

More and Clearer Printing Options

Corrugated plastic is manufactured with a white default color which provides an easy and very clear printing opportunity. You can easily brand your boxes with the printed color of your design added directly to the plastic. This allows excellent brand customization with clear and integral branded designs.

The Ultrasonic Welded FriendlyBox

FriendlyBox by Industry Plastic is a corrugated plastic produce box constructed with ultrasonic welding. The box has been designed to provide a solution to every challenge posed by the wax-coated cardboard boxes traditionally used in produce packing.

The plastic is lightweight, waterproof, and made of a single recyclable material. Our use of ultrasonic welding also ensures that the construction is free of weak spots with no need for glue and it's challenges.

Discover corrugated plastic produce boxes for yourself. Contact us to try the FriendlyBox for your produce.