Black rPET fruit trays

A black rPET fruit tray is a thermoformed tray with one cavity per piece, made from recycled PET and pigmented black. The starting material is used PET bottles and containers that are collected, washed, shredded and regranulated until they become raw material for thermoforming once again. It keeps what makes PET useful for fruit: it does not absorb moisture, does not soften in cold storage or with the condensation from fruit coming out of the cold, and can be used several times if handled well. It is suitable for food contact under Regulation (EU) 10/2011.

Black is not a question of looks. The red of a peach, the yellow of a Golden or the green of a Granny Smith stand out far more against a dark background than on a light-coloured tray, and on the supermarket shelf that means attention time. Black also hides dust, rub marks and condensation droplets from the journey: the box opens looking just as it did when it left the warehouse.

Each fruit has its own needs. Peaches have velvety skin, and sustained pressure leaves a mark that shows up days later, once at destination. Nectarines, with smooth skin, show any rubbing and transpire a great deal after harvest, so they benefit from air circulating between cavities. Apples withstand a one-off knock but are marked by the continuous rubbing of long journeys. That is why the geometry changes: a round cavity for spherical fruit, deeper on one side for pears, and wide and shallow for flat peaches and flat nectarines.

As an indicative reference, we work with 30x40, 30x50 and 40x60 cm box formats. Peaches usually run between 60 and 80 mm, nectarines between 55 and 75 mm, apples between 65 and 85 mm and pears between 60 and 80 mm; plums, which are smaller, between 40 and 55 mm. The average calibre varies between varieties and seasons, so it is worth measuring the current season's fruit. If you export apples or pears in a bussel box, the piece that goes inside is not this tray but the Traypack Cargo.

At the end of its use the tray goes back into the yellow recycling bin and re-enters the PET loop; the recycling industry estimates that producing rPET uses up to 75 % less energy than making virgin PET. Fontanet Group, from Fraga (Huesca) and with a team with more than 30 years in the sector, sends you a physical sample so you can check the fit with your fruit. The number of cavities and the thickness of each reference are confirmed by our sales team.