UK-based Xact has launched two new packaging machine solutions that enable retailers to reduce the amount of plastic packaging that they use for fresh produce.
The Rev Elephant – designed specifically for cartonboard punnets with wings – and the Rev Condor, developed for taping bunches of loose produce — will enable grocery retailers to remove millions of pieces of single use plastic from their supply chains every year.
One major UK retailer has already recognised the benefits of the Rev Elephant – a high speed, high productivity closing machine – to help it switch from a plastic film/tray wrap combination for one of its fresh produce ranges, to recyclable board. Following a successful trial, the cardboard punnets – which are fully recyclable with household paper waste collection – are currently rolling out across the grocer’s UK stores, enabling it to support its ambitious sustainability targets.
The Rev Elephant is one of the fastest machines on the market, delivering speeds of up to 250 packs per minute. It closes the containers by applying food grade, hot melt glue, and prints the variable information directly onto the punnet (an additional self-adhesive label is also optional). Suitable for a range of fresh produce and non-food packaging lines, both automated and manual loading, the compact packing ensures no damage to delicate produce and the container is fully optimised, avoiding empty spaces inside the package.
Also launching as part of Xact’s Rev portfolio is the Rev Condor. It is an automatic taping machine, ideal for securing bunches of loose fresh produce and reducing the need for more unsustainable packaging used in the sector. It can also be used to tape elongated produce such as leeks, celery and courgettes as well as round products including melons, coconuts and pineapples. For produce such as bananas, the taping method also helps to maintain product quality, allowing them to ripen in their natural state.
