The Packaging Behind the Harvest

The last two weeks have been humid, hot and hectic across International Paper's bulk produce business. Teams work around the clock to coordinate the pre-build of more than a million ClimaBins® in anticipation of a busy watermelon season.

Early in the spring, watermelon farmers contract beekeepers to pollinate their crops. The bees are moved from farm to farm and work with diligence. Picking starts in mid-April in Southern Florida and moves north into central Florida and Georgia through May.  

The introduction of ClimaGuard® to IP’s bulk containers completely revolutionized bulk produce transportation, with greater strength allowing for more bins to be stacked and moved in a single truck, and moisture anti-wicking ClimaGuard® technology, which prevents spilled cargo.

ClimaBins® are delivered to the front line of production, to outdoor packing sheds stationed in vast fields of green vines. A team of workers moves along the rows, cutting the vines with sharp slender knives. A second team follows behind, collecting the ripe watermelons and tossing them into trucks. Unlike our distinctive ClimaBin® graphic, which depicts a vintage flatbed delivery truck, the vehicles used in the watermelon fields today are yellow school buses, converted for agriculture use by removing the roof. Piled high in green and yellow, the melons are delivered to the packing shed, where they are graded and sorted into corrugated bulk containers based on circumference.  

Several IP bulk plants support this seasonal volume, providing products critical to the food and beverage industry. Delivery needs to be coordinated at short notice to ensure a maximum yield of fresh fruit.  

The introduction of ClimaGuard® to IP’s bulk containers completely revolutionized bulk produce transportation, with greater strength allowing for more bins to be stacked and moved in a single truck, and moisture anti-wicking ClimaGuard® technology, which prevents spilled cargo. Bins are stacked up three high in the semitruck bed, resulting in up to 2000 pounds standing on top of just four triple-reinforced corrugated walls.  

For decades, International Paper has partnered with produce growers to help move fresh fruits and vegetables efficiently through the supply chain. With innovative bulk packaging solutions designed to withstand the challenges of harvest, transportation, and storage, ClimaBin® continues to support growers throughout the watermelon season and beyond.

Learn more about ClimaBin® and let us know how ClimaBin® can support your business!