BY SUSAN K. LACEFIELD, EDITOR AT LARGE
PALLETS, CONTAINERS, AND PACKAGING
IN THE PALLET WORLD, WOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN
king, claiming about a 95-percent share of the overall market. And for good reason; there’s a lot about the material
to love. “It is cheap, strong, and safe,” says Laszlo Horvath,
director for the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design
at Virginia Tech.
But wood does have its disadvantages. For starters, there’s
the risk of splinters and protruding nails. And because
wood pallets can harbor insects, pathogens, and mold,
there’s the issue of sanitation. Drawbacks like these have
driven interest in “alternative” pallets made from materials
such as plastic, paper, and metal. “For pretty much every
disadvantage that wood has, there is a pallet out there that
helps users [avoid] that problem,” says Horvath.
So what’s the best type of pallet to use? As is often the
case, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer—the choice will
vary with the application. What follows is a look at the
strengths and weaknesses of each type of material and the
applications to which it is best suited.
PLASTIC: CLEAN BUT COSTLY
Next to wood, plastic is the most common material used
for making pallets. Studies show that plastic accounts for
11 percent of the market demand, with 37 percent of pallet
users employing at least some plastic units, according to
Horvath. And interest in plastic is on the rise: In a 2013
report, the market research firm The Freedonia Group
projected that demand for plastic pallets would grow at a
double-digit pace through 2017.
Plastic pallets offer many advantages: They’re impervious
to pests and mold, they’re free of splinters and nails, and
they’re easy to clean. Plus, they’re lightweight. While wood
pallets range in weight from 30 to 70 pounds, Horvath says,
a plastic pallet can weigh as little as 10.
For these and other reasons, plastic pallets appeal to users
across a broad range of industries, according to Curt Most
of Orbis Corp., which manufactures plastic pallets. For
example, food and pharmaceutical companies value them
for their hygienic qualities, while many retailers prefer
them for aesthetic reasons, particularly if they use pallets
for store-floor displays. Companies that deal in high-end
electronic goods often choose plastic because the pallets
don’t have any nails or protruding edges that can damage a
product or its packaging, according to Most.
Plastic also has its downsides. Primary among them is
cost. Plastic is typically more expensive than wood, espe-
cially if a company needs customized pallets (something
other than the standard 48- by 40-inch footprint) that
require unique molding and tooling, says Doug Gaier,
director of regional sales for the pallet company Millwood.
That makes them less than ideal for one-way shipments or
applications where the pallet might get lost. In recent years,
plastic pallet companies have responded to this concern
by adding tracking devices and developing systems to help
users keep tabs on their pallets. But the cost and the risk of
“leakage” remain a deterrent for many companies.
Furthermore, although plastic is durable, it is not very
“stiff,” meaning the components of a
plastic pallet will bend
materialhandlingupdate
Paper or plastic?
(or maybe metal)
Wood pallets still reign supreme,
but they’re not right for every application.
Here’s a look at some alternatives.
