The Pluses

of Going

Plastic



CONVENTIONALLY, large wooden pallets were used in shipping products by air, sea, rail and highway. But many companies have made the shift from wooden to plastic pallets, a decision based on sound reasoning at various levels of concern.

Durability

A major advantage of a plastic pallet is the durability of the material over wood, benefiting both shipper and receiver across several areas.

To begin with, plastic pallets won't splinter, while the wooden are prone to splintering during shipping. These splinters can be messy with potential safety hazards for handlers. Splinters could also damage the goods for the pallets are supposed to be protecting. Plastic is a highly cohesive material that is unlikely to chip during even rough transport, with no chance of large splinters breaking off.

Cost efficient. The more durable a pallet the more money saved by the shipper or receiver. Wooden pallets are far more likely to break apart sooner than plastic pallets. A plastic pallet could conceivably be used for years before it has to be replaced, if it ever does.

Flexibility

In addition to their durability, plastic pallets also have the advantage of accommodating different types of goods within the same pallet. Most plastic pallets will include dividers of various sizes, allowing the pallet to be adapted to the goods shipped or received.

The flexibility of plastic pallets may also mean savings when it comes to transportation costs. Wooden pallets must be stacked in a certain way once emptied; plastic pallets, on the other hand, can be collapsed and fit into a much smaller space. This means less room is used on the transport vehicle, resulting in lower costs and fewer trips.

Lastly consider the environmental impact of plastic and wood. While it is true that plastic will break down at a much slower rate, this means that a plastic pallet will be used for a much longer period of time (in reality far longer). The continual construction of replacement wooden pallets is much more harmful to the environment than plastic pallets, which can not only be used over and over for years, but have the potential to be recycled, and be made from recycled materials.