Corrugated Drink Carrier
A drink carrier is a mechanical problem before it is a packaging one.
View tray & get pricing →State · United States
Custom Food Trays in Washington
Washington produces a distinctive mix of enquiries: drink carriers for an exceptionally strong coffee culture, absorbent fibre trays for a substantial seafood trade, and pocketed produce trays for the state’s tree fruit industry.
The connecting thread is moisture. A wet climate, a wet product base and a lot of chilled display mean that moisture-resistant construction comes up in Washington enquiries more often than anywhere else we supply.
- 6
- trays shortlisted for this market
- 1 day
- typical quote turnaround
- Freight
- quoted to your address, not ex-works
- Made to order
- no stock sizes to work around
Quotes delivered to Washington
Tell us the tray, the quantity and where it is going. Freight is quoted to your address rather than added later.
Drink carriers are a fit problem
A drink carrier is mechanical rather than decorative. The holes have to grip the cup at the right point on its taper, the handle has to take the full loaded weight without tearing, and the base has to be wide enough that a loaded carrier does not tip when set down.
None of that can be specified from a description. Send us one of each cup you serve — hot cups, cold cups and any bottles — because hot and cold cups taper differently and a hole cut for one will not hold the other securely.
Seafood and produce
- Absorbent fibre trays with ribbed bases for fish and shellfish, which keep the product looking drier on a counter.
- Rim profiles matched to existing film sealing equipment, so a switch from plastic is not a capital project.
- Pocketed fibre trays for tree fruit, sized to the grade range across the whole season rather than a mid-season average.
- Ventilated corrugated crates where airflow matters more than cushioning.
- Moisture-resistant constructions throughout, because the climate and the product both demand it.
Specifying for a wet climate
Storage matters as much as service
Board takes on moisture from damp air. Stock in an unheated or unconditioned space loses stiffness before it is ever used.
Outdoor and market trading
A tray that is fine indoors can be too light for a wet outdoor pitch. Say if the application is outdoors.
Chilled display
Condensation forms on every surface as products move between temperatures. Moisture-resistant faces are baseline for chilled retail.
Carrier strength when wet
Untreated fluted board loses strength quickly when wet, and on a drink carrier that failure happens with a full load in somebody’s hand.
Trays we supply to Washington
Chosen against the requirements described above, not as a general catalogue listing.
Moulded Pulp Meat Tray
The whole argument for a fibre meat tray is what happens to the liquid.
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Kraft Fruit Tray
This is the pocketed fibre tray used to move and display fruit, made in a warm kraft tone rather than the grey of a standard pulp tray.
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Oyster Serving Tray
Oysters on the half shell have one packaging requirement above all others: they must stay level.
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Kraft Paper Food Tray
The kraft paper food tray is the one shape that every counter ends up buying.
View tray & get pricing →Supplying Washington: common questions
Will a drink carrier fit my cups?
Only if we cut it to them. Send one of each size you serve. Hole diameter is set at the point on the taper where the cup should rest, and hot and cold cups taper differently.
How much weight should a carrier handle take?
More than most people estimate — four large cold drinks with ice is close to three kilos. We specify the board and the handle reinforcement against your worst case rather than an average.
Why do seafood counters use absorbent fibre?
A ribbed fibre base lifts the product clear of released liquid and the material absorbs it, so the customer sees a drier, fresher-looking product on the counter.
How should produce pocket trays be sized?
To the largest fruit in your grade, and designed around the full seasonal grading range rather than a mid-season average. Fruit that sits proud of the pocket gets crushed by the tray above.
Does the wet climate affect stored packaging?
Yes. Board is hygroscopic, and stock held in an unconditioned or unheated space loses stiffness. Keep it in cartons in the driest space available and rotate it.
Can carriers be specified for wet conditions?
They should be if they are used outdoors or in the rain. Untreated fluted board loses strength quickly when wet, and that failure happens with a full load.
Cities in Washington
Other states we supply
Other countries we supply
Get a quote delivered to Washington
Send the specification, the quantity and the delivery address. We come back with unit price, tooling if any, freight and a real production date.