the fruit crate &ldquofruit fresh&rdquo, made of corrugated cardboard, uses for the first time absorber incorporated directly into the polymer matrix of the packaging material with innovative technology.the hollow spaces between the corrugations is used to apply active materials, in this case an ethylene absorber.the shelf life of certain fruit and vegetables is profoundly affected by the formation of ethylene gas which, for example is produced by apples during ripening.the ethylene absorbing corrugated cardboard crate can help to slow down the process of decay and reduce losses due to more rapid ripening.to make this &ldquoactive packaging&rdquo, a binding element is applied to the corrugation cavities, the ethylene absorber applied to this in powder or granule form and covering paper put on top of this. the further production of the crate can then carry on as normal.the corrugated cardboard fruit crate prototype was developed by sca packaging deutschland acquired by ds smith, in coorperation with and based on a patent of the fraunhofer institute in münchen.
