Despite some obvious flaws timber and wooden pallets remain the most popular in the logistics and manufacturing industries. This is mainly due to the fact that they are the cheapest alternative and can be repaired and reused over their lifespan.
However wooden pallets break easily, are heavy and difficult to work with. When they become damp their increase the risk of contamination and infestation. They are also difficult to store due to their irregular shape and size.
The issues listed above have led to alternatives being introduced in recent years including metal and cardboard, however plastic pallets are quickly becoming the most viable alternative to wooden pallets for the following reasons
1. A plastic pallet offers a more durable alternative
A well-designed plastic pallet offers a more durable alternative to a wooden pallet as theya remore likely to stand up to repeated trips. They’re perfectly suited for being shipped and can easily carry heavy cargo loads. They’re also much easier to store and they’re not as vulnerable to the weather as wooden pallets.
2. A plastic pallet is a more reliable investment
On top of being lighter than a wooden pallet, plastic pallets will dramatically reduce your freight rates when shipping by air, sea or road. One of the key advantages is nestability, plastic pallets are designed using a nine leg bottom, which can dramatically reduce the space they require when stored. Plastic pallets do often have a higher initial cost, but over their lifetime this cost is offset by a reduction in the cost per trip. This is helped due to plastics having a longer lifespan and lighter weight.
3. A plastic pallet is more hygienic
The fact that plastic pallets are resistant to moisture means that they combat some of the major issues that occur with wooden pallets such as odor absorption, infestation and fumigation costs and breakage or rot. Unlike most other alternatives plastic pallets are usually a one solid piece construction. Because of this they can easily be thoroughly cleaned between jobs. Making them the most viable alternative to wooden pallets especially in industries with hygiene or regulatory requirements such as food and beverage and pharmaceuticals
4. A plastic pallet is better for the environment.
Obviously we to factor into account the environmental impacts of oil production as this produces the primary component of plastic. However, even when taking this into account wooden pallets are more detrimental to the environment especially becuase is the daage caused by deforestation. The vast majority of plastic pallets can be made from recycled plastic and can be used to anymore environmentally viable and circular plastic industry
5. A plastic pallet is just safer
When working with a plastic pallet you don’t have to worry about the potential danger of a weak spot. As they are made from one solid piece, the risk of them failing due to heavy loads is reduced. You don’t have to worry about broken boards splinters or nails. By using a plastic palette you mitigate against many of the risks attached to shipping valuable goods as they’re far less likely to be damaged in transit.
As you can see the benefits of using a plastic pallet over a wooden pallet is clear. They offer a more sturdy, cost-effective environmentally friendly, and economical choice.
