FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Jerry Welcome

1100 N. Glebe Rd, Suite 1010

Arlington, VA  22201

Phone: 703-224-8284 Fax: 703-243-5612

Email: info@choosereusables.org

Web Site: www.choosereusables.org

Reusable Packaging Association Publishes Independent Fire Study

 Study Concludes That RPCs Require No Additional Fire Safety Measures Than Corrugated

Arlington, VA, May 6, 2009 – The Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) is making available the results of a scientific, quantifiable fire study on its website www.choosereusables.org.

The RPA collaborated with insurance companies, fire risk consultants, fire testing experts, and other supply chain partners to conduct a scientific, quantifiable study that determined conclusively that reusable plastic containers (RPCs) filled with commodities require no additional fire safety measures than when the same products are stored in corrugated containers.

“This fire study is one of several independent and in-depth studies that the RPA has conducted on areas related to reusable packaging,” said Jerry Welcome, President of the RPA. “We are making it available to others in the industry in keeping with our mission to be a valued source of information.”

The tests were carried out by CE Tech, LLC at the Department of Fire Technology at San Antonio’s Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) over a one week span. The RPA worked with a retailer, insurance companies, fire risk consultants, and fire testing experts to establish a battery of tests. Ranking and final commodity classifications were determined by calculating four industry standard fire performance parameters for the commodity/RPC systems tested and comparing them to ranking tables.

“The results were quite striking,” said Charles J. Lancelot, Ph.D., principal consultant, CE Tech. “They confirmed that when the commodities tested, and their equivalents, are stored in standard reusable plastic containers in the typical arrays used in warehouses, stores, and DCs equipped with fire suppression systems rated for Class II commodities, the RPC-stored commodities will be well within the capabilities of the installed sprinkler system. There will be no measurable risk entailed as compared with the same products stored in corrugated containers.”

The RPA tested produce and meat to better understand the fire risks associated with shipping and storing perishables in plastic containers.  The RPA chose lemons and tomatoes in plastic clam shells in RPCs as worst case produce commodities and meat grinds in case-ready packaging as a worst case meat commodity.  The highly combustible fat content of the meat grinds, the high known citrus oil content in the lemons, and the plastic clamshell-packed, high-water-content tomatoes were chosen to span the most representative range of combustibility risk.

Following the testing, the case-ready meat in nestable meat trays was assigned a Class I rating, while lemons in RPCs were assigned a Class II rating. The clamshell-packed tomatoes in RPCs did not even trigger the water suppression system and fell below the ranking tables.  This keeps the plastic container offerings in the same classifications range as the sprinkler systems currently used with their corrugated counterparts. Class I is the lowest rating for fire risk; Group A is the highest.

Most standard warehouses use wet pipe sprinkler systems. However, many perishable items are warehoused in cold rooms maintained at 34 degrees Fahrenheit or below.  Whereas most storage areas use wet pipe sprinkler systems, cold storage warehouses use dry pipe sprinklers to reduce the chance of water freezing in the sprinkler pipes. The testing results verified that commodities stored in RPCs ranked in Commodity Class I and Commodity Class II, concluding that customers do not have to make special sprinkler provisions.

An executive summary of the results is available to the public at www.choosereusables.org. Members of the RPA have access to the complete study.

About the RPA

The Reusable Packaging Association is collaborative effort between manufacturers, poolers, distributors, retailers and educators to promote the environmental, safety, and economic benefits of reusable packaging. The RPA serves as the collective voice of industry and uses its knowledge of the members’ products and services to advance the adoption of reusable packaging and systems throughout the supply chain.  The RPA is focused on promoting the expansion of reusables as the preferred packaging solution across supply chains in all industries. For more information, visit http://www.choosereusables.org or call (703) 224-8284.

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