Why Choose Plastic Pallets?

By Author: George Dixon
Total Articles: 1
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Pallets are ubiquitous in the logistics industry, being used to transport a range of goods and raw materials both throughout the country and worldwide.

Pallets are ubiquitous in the logistics industry, being used to transport a range of goods and raw materials both throughout the country and worldwide. Developed over many years the rise of the pallet has been developed side by side with the development of the forklift truck, allowing goods to be stacked and stored or transported with ease. Pallets have traditionally been made of wood as it is easily manipulated and can be made into a variety of configurations, but other materials are now being used such as plastic, cardboard or even polystyrene. Plastic pallets and pallets using other materials are now quite common but why have they been developed?

Advantages of plastic pallets

As the logistics industry has become more sophisticated with the advent of computerised loads, vehicle economy and ensuring optimum capacity employment, it is a natural extension for the humble pallet to be looked at to look for improvements. One reason the development of plastic ...
... pallets came about was when there was a timber shortage and hence a price hike, which made wooden pallets less attractive than before. Around this time there was a drop in the price of oil, which being a large constituent part of plastic, made plastic pallets an attractive alternative. There are other advantages to using plastic pallets, for instance there is a consistency in dimensions, as they are made by machine the size is always exactly the same, which makes load planning much easier with no unwanted surprises. Because plastic is an inert substance it is ideal for moving particular types of materials such as food or pharmaceuticals as there is no danger of cross contamination. When exporting around the world plastic pallets meet the international sanitary requirements which ensure that pests cannot be imported from the exporting country. Wooden pallets require heat treating before they can be used for export.

Plastic pallet alternatives

Plastic pallets are suitable for a variety of uses. For a one off use where the pallet does not have to be returned to the sender then there are lightweight versions for single use. A plastic pallet can be made from virgin material, recycled material or a combination of both, depending on the application. Pallets made from polyethylene for example are the best choice for use in a cold storage environment, whereas if coloured pallets are required then they would have to be made from virgin material.

Plastic pallets are not just an alternative to wood pallets but have their own role to play within the logistics industry. The plastic pallet is ideal for a variety of functions and is perfect for use in the pallet rental market where the ability to reuse these pallets over and over again has proved a great advantage.
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