IPL Products Ltd. has taken the metal out of its new 2115 distribution containers, which the company said should improve performance and ease recycling of the entire box at the end of its life.
Unlike a typical box with a metal hinge, the IPL system is all high density polyethylene, with lids and containers designed to snap into place.
Two customers, both retail chains using the boxes to tote and store inventory, drove the development, said Chris MacGrory, northeast regional sales manager for IPL's materials-handling sector.
The companies had problems with the metal hinge sliding out of place, where it could snag on other objects, he said. They also wanted new handles for easier access.
Recyclers, meanwhile, will benefit because they can toss the entire bin into a shredder, rather than having to cut out the hinge first.
The company, which is based in St. Damien, Quebec, already has orders for 100,000 of the injection molded units, he said, and will produce them at its facility in Windsor, Ontario.