Polypropylene seafood containers for portside, processing, and cold chain. 100% waterproof, ice-hold rated, FDA food-grade. Wholesale from Elipacko.
| Stage | Container Type | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Portside unloading | Large fish tote / lug (60–120 gal) | High load rating, drain plug, forklift compatible |
| Iced whole fish (fresh market) | Ice-pack box (20–60 lb capacity) | 100% waterproof, drain control, cold chain stack |
| Filleting and portioning | Processing tray / lug | Smooth interior, drain channels, washdown safe |
| Blast chilling / IQF | Shallow tray or lug | −40°F rated, rapid temp equalization |
| Frozen storage | Stacking tote or gaylord | Full freeze-thaw cycle rating, forklift compatible |
| Live shellfish (lobster, crab) | Ventilated wet-well crate | Seawater drainage, live animal welfare airflow |
| Export (whole fish / blocks) | Wax-alternative PP ice box | No ISPM-15, waterproof, stackable in reefer container |
Three materials dominate the seafood packaging market — expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam), wax-coated cardboard, and polypropylene (PP) corrugated. Each has a distinct cost and performance profile that determines which application it suits best.
| Property | PP Corrugated (Elipacko) | Styrofoam (EPS) | Wax Cardboard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterproof | ✓ 100% | ✓ Yes | Partial — wax degrades |
| Reusable | ✓ 50–200 cycles | ✗ Single-use | ✗ Single-use |
| Blast-freeze rated | ✓ −40°F | ✓ Yes | ✗ Degrades when frozen wet |
| Pressure washable | ✓ Yes | ✗ Crumbles | ✗ Destroyed |
| Recyclable | ✓ PP #5 | Limited (#6, low uptake) | ✗ Wax contaminates paper |
| HACCP color-coding | ✓ Any color | White only (typically) | Limited |
| Cost per trip (at 100 cycles) | $0.10–$0.30 | $1.50–$8.00 | $1.00–$5.00 |
EPS foam remains the right call for one-way consumer direct-to-door seafood shipments — its insulation value per dollar is unmatched for e-commerce seafood boxes. But for portside, processing plant, distribution, and wholesale applications where boxes return to the source, PP corrugated delivers 10–30× lower cost per trip with far better hygiene and handling characteristics.
Wax-coated cardboard is the dominant format in US fresh fish retail today — but regulatory pressure is increasing on wax box disposal (wax contaminates paper recycling streams and must be landfilled), and the cost-per-trip economics of wax cardboard deteriorate rapidly as labor, disposal, and box purchase costs rise. US produce DCs that have switched to PP corrugated returnable boxes report 90%+ packaging cost reductions within 18 months. The same economics apply to fresh and chilled seafood distribution.