Container, RAKO

Georg Utz (1916–1988) was an avid tinkerer and designer. In 1947, he founded a toolmaking company in Zurich. His initial ideas and sketches for the RAKO container could not yet be implemented technically at the time, but in 1965 an injection molding tool was finally built to produce the first container, which measured 60 by 40 by 22 centimeters. Additional sizes came out the same year, followed later by variants with perforated sides and handle slots. The typical frame construction (Rahmenkonstruktion)—from which RAKO gets its name—gives the container high stability at a low weight. As in temple architecture, the four corners form the supporting pillars. Thanks to the wide range of possible applications and steadily increasing demand, various heights adapted to existing logistics systems have been added over the years. The container family now comprises ninety-six sizes with different sidewall, base, and handle variants, resulting in over five hundred possible combinations. This makes RAKO one of the most versatile container systems ever. This reusable product, with a service life that can extend for decades, is made of non-toxic, recyclable material. The Utz Group takes back and recycles used containers and pallets from its own production.