Wooden crates have a long history of use within the shellfish industry. But some of today's leading seafood processors and wholesalers are quick to part with tradition in order to gain the benefits of returnable plastic containers.

"The IPL plastic crates are so much easier to handle and open," explained Jeff Holden, president of Portland Shellfish, a processor in South Portland, ME. "The covers are very easy to open, and the containers are lighter. Plus the crabs and lobster live longer in them because the circulation is much better than in wooden crates."

Portland Shellfish began using the IPL FlapNest live seafood crates in 2000. Today, they use only the IPL container to process their lobster and Jonah crabs. The catch is transferred to the crates at the docks and then brought to the company where they are placed in holding tanks and processed. The crate is the first plastic container developed specifically for handling live American lobster.

"Every now and then we get some catch brought to us in wooden crates. When that happens, we almost wish we hadn't gotten the catch," said Holden.

Once the catch is loaded in the crates, it stays there. The plastic crates do not absorb water like wood, thus they have a consistent tare weight of 16 lb. "It saves us the step of having to weigh the crates out, and I think that helps the mortality rate of the shellfish, too," explained Holden.

After the shellfish are delivered to customers, the containers are shipped back to Portland Shellfish. The empty, nested containers have a 2.5:1 return ratio. "They stack very easily when they're collapsed, and they're easier to clean," said Holden. "They don't absorb the odors like wood -- we just hose them down."

Although the crates were initially marketed to the lobster industry, Holden believes they offer many advantages to wholesalers and processors of crab and other shellfish.

"People used the crates for lobster first because it's valued so much more than crab. But eventually we saw that the crates had benefits to offer all our shellfish and we switched over totally from wood," said Holden.

IPL's mission is to interest other handlers of lobster, crab, and other shellfish to try the live seafood crate. IPL is experienced in both the seafood industry and in developing customized plastic containers to meet specific needs.

The William Atwood Lobster Company measures the success of the crates in part by the decrease in employees' arm and back injuries.

"The biggest advantage to us is that they weigh less [than wooden crates] when wet," said Bill McGonagle, chief operating officer of the Maine lobster dealer and wholesaler. "That makes a big difference when you're lifting crates all day long."

The wooden crates used by the company four years ago weighed 140 lb when full. Because the plastic IPL seafood crates do not absorb water, they weigh only 117 lb when full. "The number of arm and back injuries has been reduced substantially since we switched to the plastic containers," said McGonagle. "They also help reduce the general fatigue at the end of the day. Our workers love them. We couldn't take them away from them."

The reduced weight also makes more room in Atwood's tank, which has a holding capacity of more than 200,000 lb. "Sometimes during the busy season, we get to full capacity. We can get more catch in our tank when the crates are taking up less volume."

The 29 gal plastic totes can contain up to 100 lb of live shellfish for transport from boat to pond. It is the same length and width, and has the same capacity of current wood crates for full compatibility. Buoyancy in the collar of the tote allows it to float with the lid opened or closed so shellfish remain submerged while the container stays afloat. Cover security features permit containers to be floated even in rough seas.

William Atwood uses 4,000 of the IPL crates to catch, clean, sort, and hold its live shellfish, mainly lobster. The lobsters remain in the submerged crates from catch to the tank. After two days in the tank, they are sorted, graded, and placed into color-coded crates according to grade. From there, they move in their crates to another tank that holds finished inventory. The company, which has the biggest shipping facility in Maine, sells more than six million lb of lobster each year. Atwood also uses the crates for the Jonah crabs it catches.

"Keeping the catch submerged at all times and alive is critical," said McGonagle. "My customers don't buy dead lobsters."