Craemer Group: CB3 High pallet box for efficient biodegradable waste logistics

Organic waste and food residues can be transformed into valuable resources rather than simply being discarded. A Romanian company in the waste-to-energy and bioenergy sector is making an important contribution to sustainability and climate protection with its business model. Its state-of-the-art facility converts these biodegradable resources into green energy. A key element in this process is the large-volume Craemer CB3 High pallet box – a durable transport solution in an optimal size for efficient waste logistics. Since its introduction four years ago, the bioenergy company has been able to transport and process significantly larger quantities of organic waste with far less effort – a clearly positive outcome.

The company is a pioneer of Romania’s biogas and waste-to-energy sector, actively contributing to the circular economy and driving the country’s renewable energy transition. Since inaugurating Romania’s first industrial biogas plant in 2011, at Filipeștii de Pădure, the company has been converting biodegradable organic waste into green electricity, heat and valuable organic fertilisers. Built on a long-term vision of responsible resource management and technological excellence the company is continuously expanding and today operates a growing network of modern biogas facilities fully supplied with biodegradable organic waste. With a current processing capacity exceeding 200,000 tonnes annually, the company delivers measurable climate impact, contributes to energy security and supports regional economic resilience. At the operational level, performance is driven by efficiency, reliability and scalability across the entire value chain, from waste collection to energy generation. Behind this performance stands a strong operational backbone, where efficient logistics and reliable industrial solutions make sustainable growth possible.

In search of the right-sized transport box

In 2021, the bioenergy company faced the challenge of finding a more efficient solution for collecting, storing and feeding its incoming biodegradable waste into production as processing volumes increased. The IBCs and pallets the company had been using up to that point were becoming increasingly impractical. What was needed was a durable transport box “in the right size” that would enable fast, flexible logistics while also simplifying temporary waste storage. Management recognised the potential of an optimised container to move significantly larger quantities of biodegradable waste with less effort. The company therefore evaluated a range of alternative handling and transport solutions with the aim of reducing acquisition costs without compromising on quality.

An ideal solution: the CB3 High from Craemer

That same year, the company discovered the ideal solution at an international trade fair: the large-volume Craemer CB3 High pallet box with a capacity of around 1,000 litres, designed for efficient logistics when handling large quantities or bulky materials. Its key advantage is its one-shot injection-moulded construction, which makes the load carrier exceptionally stable and robust, while its well-thought-out functional design ensures easy and reliable handling in daily use.

Manufactured from high-quality, food-safe polyethylene, the Craemer CB3 High is available in the industrial dimensions (1,200 × 1,000 mm) with either three longitudinal runners or nine feet, weighing 49.5 or 46.5 kilograms respectively. At a height of 1,140 mm, the CB3 High offers significantly greater usable internal capacity than most other pallet boxes.

Advantages that made the difference

The CB3 High’s handling advantages, high quality and strong price-performance ratio immediately caught the attention of the company’s representatives at the trade fair. Contact with Craemer Area Sales Manager Michael Siebert was quickly established. “With the launch of our CB3 High in 2021, we were able to offer the customer a solution that met all their requirements,” Michael says. “The key advantage of our pallet box has always been its easy handling – a feature that clearly set it apart from alternative solutions offered by other manufacturers that our customer also evaluated.”

Following a successful review of the specification, the company placed its first order for pallet boxes. The switch to the CB3 High was carried out quickly after delivery. “Within just three to six months, we learned to appreciate the key advantages and placed another order,” says the Biogas Plant Director. “We were particularly interested in finding a solution to be more efficient in transport, the low odour development and the ability to move significantly larger quantities than before. The CB3 High offers easy handling – whether using a forklift truck, wheel loader or automated industrial truck. It can also be cleaned effortlessly in industrial washing systems.” In addition to the box’s proven quality and durability, the waste-to-energy firm also praised the excellent cooperation and communication with the Craemer sales team.

Robust and safe in daily use

Since 2022, the CB3 High has been in continuous use at the Romanian bioenergy facilities. Today, Craemer’s customer relies exclusively on this pallet box and now operates more than 2,000 units. Its advantages have proven themselves clearly in the rigours of day-to-day operation. The one-piece construction ensures robust, fully integrated runners, while additional ribs above the entry openings on the closed outer walls provide enhanced impact protection against forklift tines. The pronounced ribbing of the underside also gives the container floor high strength. The base of the runners features stacking pockets that securely interlock with the integrated stacking cams on the outer corners of the upper rim of the box below.

Another advantage of the CB3 High is its high temperature resistance: from –30 °C to +40 °C, and even up to +90 °C for short periods. Thanks to its seamless construction and smooth inner walls, the container is easy to clean and quick to dry. Tipping and emptying are carried out effortlessly via the forklift truck’s rotating carriage – a safe and efficient method that is reliably supported by the container’s integrated runner base.

As standard, the CB3 High is supplied with closed 1-inch and 2-inch drain ports. Markings indicate where the threaded openings can be drilled open later if required. On request, the pallet box is also available with open drain ports – a version used by the Romanian bioenergy company. Further equipment details include transponder brackets on each long side for optional RFID tagging and designated marking fields for customised logos, lettering or numbering. A custom-fit lid is available as an accessory.

Higher transport efficiency in less time

After four years of use, the Romanian company reports not only a significant increase in transport efficiency but also noticeable improvements in storage and handling. The Biogas Plant Director explains: “Our results so far show an increase in transport efficiency of around 30%, along with time savings of approximately 10 to 20%. The annual failure rate has also improved. It is now between 11 and 15%, with the majority attributable to improper handling (8 to 10%) and only a smaller share due to premature ageing caused by heavy use (3 to 5%).”

No significant challenges have arisen in the use of the CB3 High; any minor issues were resolved quickly and without difficulty in close cooperation with Craemer. The company describes the collaboration as consistently positive. The Biogas Plant Director concludes: “Our vision is to create a world in which renewable energy, efficient recycling and the circular economy become the norm. We want future generations to live in a healthy environment and benefit from abundant natural resources. There are many ways to achieve environmentally responsible operations, efficiency and sustainability – and Craemer’s solutions are an excellent example of this. The advantages of the CB3 High pallet boxes became so evident in daily operations that our partners explicitly requested the use of these containers for waste transport due to improved efficiency, cleaner handling and more reliable logistics.”

This article was originally published Craemer Group.