Paperboard Fruit Carriers

Canada’s Niagara Orchard & Vineyard Corp., located in Virgil, Ontario, just completed its first season-long trial of paperboard carriers in place of thermoformed PET containers for fresh fruit.

These paperboard carriers are shipped to grower facilities where operators erect and fill them.
These paperboard carriers are shipped to grower facilities where operators erect and fill them.

“We tried a similar paper package about 10 years ago, but it just didn’t hold up,” says Sales Manager Spenser Greenfield. “But now with so many retailers and consumers trying to move away from single-use plastic packaging, we wanted to sit down with WestRock to figure out how to make it work, and WestRock had a lot of good ideas.”

The WestRock auto-erect carriers are part of WestRock’s  EverGrow™ Fiber-Based Produce Packaging Collection. The formats used by Niagara include 1.5-, 2-, 3-, or 5-L sizes. They’re made of 24-pt Coated Natural Kraft and are printed by WestRock in six colors. Niagara has used them for plums, pears, nectarines, peaches, and grapes. Growers order the paperboard carriers from Niagara, which then ships them out as knocked-down flat blanks in 200-count corrugated shippers. Operators in packing sheds open and fill each carrier and then put 10 carriers into a master corrugated shipper for distribution into retail channels.

Annual Outlook Report: Automation & Robotics
What's in store for CPGs in 2025 and beyond? <i>Packaging World</i> editors explore the survey responses from 118 brand owners, CPG, and FMCG <i>Packaging World</i> readers for its new Annual Outlook Report.
Download
Annual Outlook Report: Automation & Robotics
Researched List: Engineering Services Firms
Looking for engineering services? Our curated list features 100+ companies specializing in civil, process, structural, and electrical engineering. Many also offer construction, design, and architecture services. Download to access company names, markets served, key services, contact information, and more!
Download Now
Researched List: Engineering Services Firms