A large, national supermarket chain needed to improve the efficiency of their waste handling on the shop floor.
Supermarkets produce a large amount of plastic pallet wrap waste used to protect stock during transportation. Most have a system in place for what to do with the wrap once it is removed from stock but this can be time consuming and untidy and in this case it took up valuable space in the store aisles. Furthermore, double handling of waste can be unhygienic and labour intensive.
After visiting several stores and assessing the system they had in place (a cardboard box which needed to be regularly emptied at the back of house); it was decided the best way to improve efficiency would be with a custom designed, 800L Knapzak frame, that would fit onto the supermarket’s Euro Pallet.
Benefits of the Knapzak System
- Space Saving – The Knapzak frame fits directly onto the pallet, so takes up no extra floor space.
- Time Saving – The bag is twice the height of the boxes used previously, allowing for far more product to be put in it before having to change it, saving time.
- The bag is clear plastic, so any contamination can be seen instantly. This avoids the waste being rejected later.
- No need for double handling. The bags can be sealed and put straight into the baler.
Trials
The Knapzak system was initially trialled in 2 stores, before adding 3 more to the mix. The trial ran for 4 months to allow the customer time to get a true idea of if and how the system would benefit the business.
Installation
The trial was deemed a great success and the system has now gone live in every one of the supermarket’s UK stores, with over 800 Knapzak frames being sent to sites around the country in the first order.
PRM and Knapzak worked together to develop the custom-made frame to ensure the solution was cost effective and appropriate for the customer. If you are looking for a solution to source segregation, contact us today!
