Viscount FCC has opened a new crate wash and processing facility in East Tamaki, Auckland, to service New Zealand’s fresh food and grocery supply chains.

The new facility boasts the latest industrial wash and dry equipment to deliver best in class hygiene results for the crates, which are used to store and transport food produce from growers to retailers.

The crates, which are reusable and recyclable, are a sustainable alternative to single use cardboard and polystyrene boxes. Designed to be used about 140 times before being recycled, the reusable crates play a critical role in creating more sustainable grocery supply chains and reducing food and packaging waste.

With existing wash plants in Palmerston North and Christchurch, along with a regional depot network to support growers, the new Auckland facility boosts Viscount FCC’s capacity in New Zealand by 250%.

The new Auckland building has a five star green rating, with solar panels producing 20kW of power, rainwater collection tanks, EV car chargers, and automatic LED lighting.

Viscount FCC is a division of Viscount Reuse, a new Trans-Tasman joint venture between plastic packaging and recycling company, Pact Group, and global infrastructure investment manager, Morrison & Co.

Viscount Reuse, which operates 10 facilities in Australia and New Zealand, manages an asset pool of the reusable and recyclable plastic crates that keeps the crates moving in a closed loop between suppliers, retailer distribution centres and supermarkets. The business also manufactures and supplies crates, bins and megabins for use in the fresh food and automated supply chain.