Why Plastic Pallets Make Financial Sense
06 Aug 2017
If your company has been using wooden pallets since before you can remember, it’s not alone. Pallets are used to transport a huge range of goods and products from one place to another, from bananas to bags of flour, ceramics to electrical goods, and in the past the majority of those pallets were made from wood.
Wooden pallets are still out there in huge numbers – estimates range in the billions – but they are fast being replaced by plastic versions.
Just why the plastic alternative is taking over from the wooden version should be evident when one examines the many benefits plastic offers over wood. The most relevant of these benefits to most companies is, of course, cost.
Here we take a look at the reasons replacing your wooden pallets with plastic ones will reap financial rewards for your firm at all levels.
A Longer Lifespan
There are numerous reasons why plastic wins out in the durability stakes over wood.
Plastic as a material is much longer-lasting in general than wood, so your pallets will give you many years of service compared to their wooden counterparts.
Plastic is far less likely to be damaged, while wood is prone to splintering, cracking and damage caused by extremes of temperature and weather. So your plastic pallets will need replacing less often.
Depending on their usage, some wooden pallets may only last a matter of months before being damaged beyond repair, while plastic ones are guaranteed to endure years of use before finally going to that great pallet heaven in the sky.
So although plastic pallets cost more than wooden ones to buy, they will easily pay for themselves within a short space of time.
Weighty Matters
Another important consideration when using pallets is how much they weigh. As you will know, weight is of prime importance when transporting goods – the more something weighs, the more costly it is to transport.
So it makes sense that lighter plastic pallets will save firms money in the long run because of the reduction in freight costs. Depending on where goods are being sent, these savings can be considerable.
Because plastic pallets are moulded, they are likely to be of a consistent weight and size. This, too, will help in budgeting and estimating costs.
Reliable Cleanliness
Unlike wooden pallets, which can harbour germs, plastic pallets are easily cleaned and can therefore be used to transport goods in a more hygienic manner.
This means they are less likely to result in damaged and spoilt goods, particularly foodstuffs, which is another reason why they will cost less than the wooden version.
But Why Buy?
So it seems obvious that, if only from a cost point of view, plastic pallets are worth the investment. But should you hire them or buy them outright?
There are, of course, advantages to both methods, but buying will enable you to have better control over your pallets. You will always know what they have been used to transport, will have more say in how they are cleaned and, if necessary, sterilised, and will gain a higher return on your investment over time.