The Savoy Spinach Industry had a bushel full of packaging-related problems when Tosca came on the scene in 1996.  In fact, most of these challenges were a result of the continued use, and reuse, of traditional wood packaging- the bushel basket.  Sanitation and food safety concerns were chronic in the industry.  Savoy, or Curly Leaf Spinach is shipped from growers to processors packed in ice, a cooling method that requires effective drainage, unobstructed ventilation, and the cleaning of containers prior to reuse. Bushel baskets couldn't be sanitized, and growers were linking outbreaks of white rust and blue mold in their fields to contaminated baskets.  In addition, a bushel basket isn't equipped with a lid; and as a result, inadequate containment and protection of spinach in the shipping environment caused both product loss and value erosion.Raw material prices also continued to rise, and packaging costs escalated for wood baskets that were virtually impossible to repair, once they had sustained damage.  Tosca researched the closed loop in this geographically diverse supply chain, which originates with Savoy Spinach Growers, and ends at the facilities of Fresh Produce Processors/Re-Packers where spinach is cleaned, and then bagged.  

Needless to say, dissatisfaction with bushel baskets was widespread, and growing like wildfire in the Spinach Industry! Tosca literally took to the fields and partnered with major growers and processors to analyze the application, and to review the plastic returnable container options available for their closed loop supply chain.  When a container that would meet essential requirements wasn't available, a custom design was created.  Consensus was reached on Key Features: a single 16" x 24" container footprint; a 33 pound load capacity, with ice, as required; drain holes; ventilation holes; detachable lid, foldable for container backhaul; a nestable design, for efficient storage and return ratio; and HACCP-friendly construction, to facilitate cleaning protocols. Already adapted to the concept of packaging standardization, progressive companies were also responsive to the low-cost, high-quality advantages offered by an exclusive Tosca-owned, pooled RPC solution- complete with 'per use' rental, and a suite of services from Tosca Limited.

Today, a Tosca-owned fleet of over 300,000 containers supplies 95% of the Savoy Spinach market, nationally.  Handling 4 million shipments per year, this custom program has delivered cost savings to the industry of 35-37% since conversion to the Tosca pool during the late 1990's.  According to customer demand, which is seasonal, Tosca issues ready-for-use containers to Growers, and receives empty containers from Processors at the far side of the closed loop system.  Located in two facilities, Tosca Operations Teams inspect, wash, and maintain Spinach Containers, according to customer-defined quality standards, and regulatory compliance.  At the request of its customers, Tosca also supplies logistics services to increase pool efficiencies, folding this cost into pricing.  By utilizing leading-edge logistics software, Tosca provides significant cost savings for the transportation piece in the Spinach Industry economic equation.  The payoff for adoption of this Industry-Wide, Dedicated RPC Pooling Solution has been value-driven standardization: standardized container size, weight and durability; standardized packaging quality, with reduced product damage; and standardized low costs.  If you want to produce results in the Produce Industry- that's the Tosca way to do it.  And we eat our Spinach, too!