Pallets are essential in the modern world of global transportation and storage of goods. They are found everywhere from shipping to stores, having replaced traditional wooden boxes and wooden barrels at the turn of the twentieth century. The skids upon which their design is based can be dated as far back as Ancient Egypt.
They are easy to use and simple to build, creating dense and reliable structures that can be lifted by a forklift. Pallets can be made of wood or plastic with 90% of the world’s pallets being wooden – and for good reasons. When plastic pallets first came in, people thought they could revolutionise the transport industry but they just do not quite make the cut which is why pallets made of wood have remained the number one choice.
1. Wooden pallets are stronger than plastic pallets
Pallets created from wood are far stronger than plastic pallets due to their rigid, solid structures and compact, dense and natural material. This means pallets made from wood can be used for far heavier items without the worry of them buckling or breaking through excess stress which can easily occur in plastic pallets. Wood-based pallets can easily hold up to 1.2 tonnes without causing any structural damage so they are a reliable transport solution.
This will never be the case with plastic pallets that easily buckle and strain under the pressure of excess load. Once they have buckled, plastic pallets are unusable. With wooden pallets, you will never have to worry about them supporting your goods throughout the entire transportation process. There are two main types of wooden pallets – stringer and block pallets. Both types are strong but block pallets are the stronger of the two designs due to their multi-directional stringers creating a dense block.
2. Wooden pallets are cheaper than plastic pallets
Pallets made from wood can be less than a third of the cost of plastic pallets and that can become a crucial factor when buying in bulk. Wood-based pallets offer a cheap and trusted solution for transportation worldwide. While spending a little extra on plastic pallets may not seem like a lot it must be remembered that most pallets are bought in bulk. Traditional wooden pallets have good longevity and are a cheap trusted solution for any job.
This goes a long way towards explaining why over ninety per cent of pallets are wooden. In fact, some plastic pallets can cost more than ten times what their wooden counterparts would. Given the reliability of wooden pallets, there is no economic or practical justification for purchasing expensive plastic pallets.
3. Wood based pallets are better for the environment
Did you know that wooden pallets are 100% recyclable? Not only are pallets made from wood already the most robust solution but they are also extremely environmentally friendly. Since they are made out of wood which can decompose easily, at the end of their life cycle they can be broken down or, if the wood is in good condition, refurbished into reconditioned pallets.
It is more important than ever that we think in terms of the environment with eco friendly solutions critical to our everyday lives that should be implemented at every possible opportunity. Choosing wood based pallets is an environmentally conscious choice in comparison to plastic pallets that never truly degrade, just degrading until they become unusable but are still not easily recycled.
With wooden based pallets, recycling is a simple, easy and attractive choice both in terms of resources, energy and costs. Up to 500 million wood pallets are refurbished or recycled every year. The process is simple and streamlined with a wide variety of large scale recycling companies providing the service. These refurbished pallets are then sold at discount prices.
To conclude, wooden pallets are and will always be the clear choice over plastic pallets. Widely accessible, wood based pallets can be bought from a range of suppliers online within the UK and overseas in support of transport and storage needs. When they finally degrade, they can be refurbished into new pallets. Wood based pallets are therefore the optimal choice in any scenario.
