Cleaning and maintenance of RPC

Important high capacity of our automated cleaning line for the pooling service, that is able to clean over 2.500 RPCs in one hour, enables us to regularly supply our clients with clean and dry packaging.

Our cleaning service can be offered to companies, retail chains, who are not using our own reusable returnable packaging. This includes companies that use different kinds of holders, trollies, crates, baskets etc., that need to be washed by hand, but their dimensions fit the cleaning ability of our cleaning line.

Depending on quantity, specifics and difficulty the cleaning service must be discussed individually.

Cleaning and sanitation of reusable RPC packaging is being done through use of physical and chemical components in our Collusi-Ermes cleaning line. Before actual washing, et. process of automatic forming, the RPC’s are cleaned mechanically of larger remains of fruits and vegetables, paper and declaration residue.

The process of washing and sanitation of RPCs happens inside the washing machine that uses combined methods of residue removal and chemical sanitation. Damaged and very dirty packaging (not used in compliance with terms of the Agreement on the unified system of use of reusable returnable packaging for unspecified uses) is removed from the cleaning process.

Washing and sanitation phases

Washing and sanitation of RPCs in the automated cleaning machine is comprised of three phases: prewashing, washing and rinsing. In the part of the machine for prewashing bigger pieces of dirt with a hot stream of water (70°C) under pressure and the packaging is being soaked and prepared for the next phase.

Prewashing

Washing

Rinsing

In the part of the machine for washing the RPCs are washed with a stream of automatically prepared detergent solution (conductivity of the solution: 2,50-3,00 millisiemens), that ensures removal of all bacteria, spores and other microorganisms. This is achieved by a combination of high temperature (70-80°C), an alkaline chlorine based medium (sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochloride) and the pressurized stream of the solution.

After washing RPCs enter the part of the machine for rinsing the detergent residue with water (60-70°C), to make the packaging compliant with current regulations on exiting the machine. The final rinsing is done with cool water, so the temperature of the RPCs falls to the temperature of the environment, thus preventing moisture condensation from the surrounding air before the process of centrifugal drying.

After exiting the cleaning machine, before automatic stacking of RPCs, optical control of hygiene of the RPCs takes place. Samples are being randomly chosen in regular intervals to be sent for testing to the Croatian institute for public health, which issues certificates for its health and sanitary integrity.