Pallet Enterprise Compile Alternative Materials Pallet Guide
30 Nov 2014
Pallet Enterprise – an American website that provides information for pallet operators and operations has recently compiled a guide that informs US pallet-users of companies who are using alternative materials to make pallets.
It’s been well documented recently that plastic pallets are on the rise in terms of popularity, but this report highlights that around 70% of the companies listed in the guide use plastic to create their alternative pallets. With this, the most commonly cited feature of the plastic pallet was its ability to be recycled at the end of its life, or the fact that the pallet itself was crafted using recycled materials; not to mention the fact that these pallets have a longer shelf life as it is.
Interestingly, of the 70% of the pallet companies reported to offer plastic pallets, only 27% of those offered pallets in other materials.
Much of the guide is aimed at helping those who require pallet services to locate specialised pallet solutions, and it is this area in which plastic pallets can truly come into their own. The strength of the plastics used in creating the pallets means that different designs can be utilised without compromising structural integrity. This is an obvious advantage over the traditional wooden pallet.
Similarly, pallets can be colour coded to better improve the way in which they are handled. This is especially useful when transporting food or beverage items, for example; anything that cannot or should not be mixed. This can make things quicker and easier for those delivering your shipments.
This can certainly be applied to pallet pools, whereby pallets change hands between pallet pool members regularly. Colour-coding applied right the way across the pallet pool means that those handling the pallets can quickly distinguish what each shipment contains, where it must be transported to and exactly how it should be handled. Such information being so easily attained could be a real time saver.