Plastic Bulk Bins

Early projections for the 2019 orange market in the U.S. predicted a rebound in production compared to the previous year. Nearly 5 million tons of the fruit were forecast to be picked by the end of the season.

Wood harvest bins have been the industry standard for decades, if not longer, but plastic harvest bins have been turning up in more and more fields as the seasons pass. Each material has advantages and disadvantages, but in the end, plastic is the clear winner — provided it’s the right sort of plastic.

Mechanical apple harvesting could be the key to improving yields — or even, in an era of labor shortages, the orchard's very solvency — but more efficient picking won't do any good if the rest of the operation can't keep up. To take full advantage of mechanized harvests, farmers must be able to quickly move apples to packing houses without bruising or otherwise damaging the fruit.

Organic produce requires very careful postharvest-handling strategies. For good or for ill, this is a premium product, and even aesthetic compromises on quality affects its salability. More importantly, there's the food-safety issue, as improper handling at harvest can spread pathogens and other contaminants, which is clearly unacceptable for organic farmers and their customers.