Fish container wins plastics export award

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 10

Fish container wins plastics export award

PA Wellington A polystyrene container, used for the export of live crayfish, has won the 1981 Plastics Institute of New Zealand export award. The award, a landscape painting by a Wellington artist, Mr H. B. Lattey, has been presented to the managing director of Beta Plastics, Ltd, Mr Roy Bettison, by the Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr AdamsSchneider) . In presenting the award, the Minister said that the achievements of the Upper Hutt company were an excellent example of the plastics industry assisting another to achieve spectacular results.

He said live crayfish were being exported by a local fish exporter who was prepared to take on established Austalian exporters supplying the Japanese market. “Initially, a death rate of 20 per cent was not uncommon when live crayfish were exported in conventional polystyrene boxes,” said Mr Adams-Schneider.

“But with Beta’s container, the mortality rate of crayfish has been reduced to virtually zero, and the fish are held at critical temperatures during 72 hours of shipment.”

In the 1980 season 1800 containers were used. This season sales increased 230 per cent and next season’s requirements are estimated at 10,000 units. Mr Adams-Schneider said that Beta Plastics efforts showed the progressive role of the plastics industry generally. “The plastics industry has come a long way in a short space of time, and now plays a very significant role in New Zealand’s economy.” In the last two years, said Mr Adams-Schneider, direct exports of plastics products had increased from $22 million to $55 million. “This growth attains even greater significance when one takes into account the industry’s indirect contribution to export sales — estimated to be approximately $3OO million for the current year.”