banana box

Until the 1950s, bananas were often shipped hanging from hooks in the cargo rooms of reefer ships, which could lead to the bananas being in a poor condition when they arrived at their destination.{{cite web|url=http://www.chiquita.it/en/the_box/|website=chiquita.it|title=www.chiquita.it/en/the_box/|access-date=2022-01-31|archive-date=2016-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105161934/http://www.chiquita.it/en/the_box/|url-status=dead}}

Since the fruit is sensitive to pressure, 1961 saw the introduction of boxes packed at the plantations and loaded on refrigerated ships.{{cite web|title=The Box|url=http://www.chiquita.it/en/the_box/|publisher=Chiquita|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105161934/http://www.chiquita.it/en/the_box/|archive-date=2016-11-05|access-date=2016-11-05|language=en}}

From the mid-1960s, refrigerated containers were increasingly used to transport banana boxes.{{cite web|title=200 Jahre internationale Bananenschifffahrt|url=https://hochhaus-schiffsbetrieb.jimdo.com/200-jahre-internationale-bananenschifffahrt-273/|access-date=2016-05-04|last=Karl-Heinz Hochhaus|language=de|website=hochhaus-schiffsbetrieb.jimdo.com|archive-date=2020-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018080641/https://hochhaus-schiffsbetrieb.jimdo.com/200-jahre-internationale-bananenschifffahrt-273/|url-status=dead}}

Bananenoogst.ogv|Dutch video showing banana harvesting in Suriname, April 1968. At 1:33 filling of banana boxes can be seen, as well as transport to the reefer ship.

BreakBulk5.jpg|Loading of banana boxes in the hold of a refrigerated ship

Kühlschifffahrt BanCont1.JPG|Transport of banana boxes in refrigerated containers at 13.5 °C (2006)

File:Plantação de banana 11.jpg|Shipment in wooden crates

A banana box usually holds about 18 kg of bananas.{{Cite news|url=https://www.dn.se/arkiv/ekonomi/tullmurar-skakar-om-bananhandel/|title=Tullmurar skakar om bananhandel|website=Dagens Nyheter|access-date=2022-01-31}} The dimensions may vary slightly between different manufacturers, but are approximately 535 × 400 × 245 mm (width × depth × height), which corresponds to a volume of 52 liters (0.05 m{{sup|3}}). Thus, 20 banana boxes will fill about one cubic meter. A single type 1AA ISO container can thus hold 1200 banana boxes.{{cite web|title=1.200 banankartonger till undsättning! - PDF Gratis nedladdning|url=https://docplayer.se/141080543-1-200-banankartonger-till-undsattning.html|access-date=2021-08-14|website=docplayer.se}}

A disadvantage of banana boxes for transport purposes is that unlike euro containers, they cannot effectively fill a Euro pallet (1200 × 800 mm). Europallets can, for reference, also be stacked efficiently in a CEN container.

File:Books in banana boxes (3300527478).jpg

Banana boxes are popularly reused for storage or transport, for example as moving boxes, for archiving, used book markets, in storage areas or for humanitarian logistics.{{Cite web|author=Friedrich Hirsefelder|date=2009-12-10|title=Bananenkartons als Antiquariats-Grundlage|url=https://www.boersenblatt.net/artikel-antiquariat.350232.html|work=Börsenblatt|access-date=2022-01-31}} An important reason for these uses is that banana boxes usually are affordable and easy to obtain, as they are often given away for free from many grocery stores{{Cite web|date=2017-03-11|title=Fakta om flytteesker du ikke visste at du lurte på|url=https://ok-minilager.no/blogg/fakta-om-flytteesker/|access-date=2022-01-31|language=nb-NO|website=OK Minilager}}{{cite web|url=http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/20080725/how-can-i-reuse-or-recycle-cardboard-banana-boxes|title=How can I reuse or recycle cardboard banana boxes? {{pipe}} How can I recycle this?|website=recyclethis.co.uk|access-date=2022-01-31}}{{cite web|url=http://www.updater.com/moving-tips/top-20-places-to-find-free-moving-boxes|title=Top 20 Places to Find Free Moving Boxes|website=Updater|access-date=2022-01-31}} that otherwise would have to dispose of them. The boxes are relatively robust (for cardboard boxes), and their quasi-standardized shape makes them easy to stack. Some stores charge for banana boxes, and the profit may, for instance, go to charity.{{Cite news|url=https://24blekinge.se/salde-banankartonger-sa-mycket-far-barncancerfonden|title=bonus casino 777|website=24blekinge.se|access-date=2022-01-31}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.st.nu/artikel/medelpad/sundsvall/bananlador-ger-hjalp|website=st.nu|title=www.st.nu/artikel/medelpad/sundsvall/bananlador-ger-hjalp|access-date=2022-01-31}} A disadvantage of using banana boxes for moving may be the size, and that the bottom may not be sufficiently durable.{{cite web|url=http://www.gp.se/konsument/prisjamforelser/1.890188-ratt-lada-till-flytten|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901044415/http://www.gp.se/konsument/prisjamforelser/1.890188-ratt-lada-till-flytten|archive-date=2012-09-01|access-date=2016-01-25|title=Rätt låda till flytten - Prisjämförelser|website=gp.se}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gp.se/konsument/prisjamforelser/1.890188-ratt-lada-till-flytten|website=gp.se|title=www.gp.se/konsument/prisjamforelser/1.890188-ratt-lada-till-flytten|access-date=2022-01-31}} They can also start to smell due to juices that have settled from the bananas during transport.

There have been rumors that banana boxes may contain toxins that make them unsuitable for storing clothes and kitchen utensils.{{cite web|url=http://www.magasinering.se/matrialforsaljning.html|title=Flyttkartonger i Stockholm - Materialförsäljning med Stadsbud|website=magasinering.se|access-date=2022-01-31}} In 2004, the Swedish National Food Administration tested banana boxes, but found no toxins. In 2012, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation could not give a definite answer, but considered that the risk of high toxin concentrations in the boxes was unlikely.{{cite web|url=http://kontakt.naturskyddsforeningen.se/org/naturskyddsforeningen/d/gift-i-bananlador/|website=kontakt.naturskyddsforeningen.se|title=kontakt.naturskyddsforeningen.se/org/naturskyddsforeningen/d/gift-i-bananlador/|access-date=2022-01-31|archive-date=2016-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131030525/http://kontakt.naturskyddsforeningen.se/org/naturskyddsforeningen/d/gift-i-bananlador/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.nt.se/nyheter/banankartongerna-ar-alldeles-ofarliga-1908067.aspx|title=Banankartongerna är alldeles ofarliga – Norrköpings Tidningar|website=nt.se|access-date=2022-01-31}}{{cite web|title=Gift i bananlådor|url=http://kontakt.naturskyddsforeningen.se/org/naturskyddsforeningen/d/gift-i-bananlador/|access-date=2014-06-15|website=kontakt.naturskyddsforeningen.se|archive-date=2016-01-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131030525/http://kontakt.naturskyddsforeningen.se/org/naturskyddsforeningen/d/gift-i-bananlador/|url-status=dead}}

Some poisonous spiders of the genus Phoneutria (Brazilian wandering spiders) occasionally wind up in Europe unintentionally with banana boxes via cargo ship.{{cite web|url=https://www.tv2.no/a/6682475/|title=Maria (43) fant livsfarlig edderkopp i banan|work=TV 2|language=no|date=13 March 2015|access-date=2022-01-31}}Günter Schmidt: Über die Bedeutung der mit Schiffsladungen in Deutschland eingeschleppten Spinnentiere, Journal of Pest Science, Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, Volume 26, Number 7 / Juli 1953, S. 97–105.[https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/britische-familie-findet-toedliche-spinne-beim-bananen-einkauf-a-931612.html Tödliche Spinnen beim Bananen-Einkauf], 4. November 2013.[https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/giftspinne-londoner-findet-brasilianische-wanderspinne-im-obst-a-998066.html Einkauf in London: Killerspinne in der Obstkiste], 20. Oktober 2014.{{cite web|title=Malin fick odjur med sig hem från butiken|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/KxgxX|access-date=2021-08-14|website=aftonbladet.se}} In 2018, the Swedish animal expert Jonas Wahlström stated that there were no very dangerous spiders in banana-producing countries.{{Cite news|url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article10341261.ab|website=aftonbladet.se|title=Jättespindel kröp bland bananerna|access-date=2022-01-31}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/VR9yMr/jattespindel-krop-bland-bananerna|website=aftonbladet.se|title=Jättespindel kröp bland bananerna|access-date=2022-01-31}} In the 2010s, however, deadly Brazilian spiders reportedly had been found in banana boxes in the UK and Germany.http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/giftspinne-londoner-findet-brasilianische-wanderspinne-im-obst-a-998066.html {{in lang|de}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/dodlig-spindel-fick-affar-att-stanga/|title=Dödlig spindel fick affär att stänga {{pipe}} Nyheter|website=Expressen|access-date=2022-01-31}}

Like with other paper-based products,{{Cite web|last=Vebenstad|first=Marit Aaby|date=2018-03-14|title=Nytt skadedyr kommer med pappesker|url=https://www.nrk.no/livsstil/nytt-skadedyr-kommer-med-pappesker-1.13952748|access-date=2022-01-31|language=nb-NO|website=nrk.no}} there may be a risk of gray silverfish and silverfish with banana boxes.{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In 2018, the Netherlands sought to replace corrugated banana boxes with plastic boxes which could be reused. The motivation for this was that it was more environmentally friendly.{{Cite web|date=2019-10-10|title=De bananendoos is op zijn retour {{!}} De Volkskrant|url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/de-bananendoos-is-op-zijn-retour~b552a42d/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010182402/https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/de-bananendoos-is-op-zijn-retour~b552a42d/|access-date=2022-01-31|archive-date=2019-10-10}}

In 2021, a new ventilated plastic banana box was launched by the company IFCO.{{cite web|url=https://www.ifco.com/no/ifco-launches-new-banana-lift-lock-crates-that-offer-additional-benefits-for-the-transportation-of-bananas/|title=IFCO launches new banana Lift Lock crates|website=IFCO|date=June 2021|access-date=2022-01-31}} It has a footprint of 600 × 400 mm (the same footprint as one of the most common sizes of euro containers). Furthermore, it has a height of 211 mm when unfolded, and is foldable to a total height of only 28 mm for more efficient transportation or storage when empty. ICFO claims this new type of banana box can contribute to a more circular economy.

• Euro container, reusable plastic boxes which are designed to fit on a Euro pallet
• Milk crate

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Category:Containers