Wooden or Plastic: Choosing the Right Pallets for Your Business
Wooden pallets are still one of the more popular choices for packing and transporting products with grocery stores, warehouses, and some industrial fields. However, competition between wood and plastic has been heating up over the last few years, especially with concerns for the environment and the safety of wooden pallets being imported to the U.S. from other countries. There are pros and cons to each type of pallet, and you may find that utilizing both is what your business needs. Before looking at pallets for sale in Atlanta, try to understand the differences between the two materials first.
Pros and Cons of Wooden Pallets
Wooden pallets are popular for a good reason. Wood is recyclable, a sustainable resource, easily repaired, and cheaper than plastic products. When you buy wooden pallets for sale in Atlanta, you’re getting something that can withstand thousands of pounds of weight, holding more weight than plastic pallets, and something that won’t increase your overhead costs like plastic. Wooden pallets are more cost effective for exporting goods to other countries. You won’t get your pallets back too often with exported goods, so sending plastic pallets will be too much of a financial loss.
Some negatives of wooden pallets include a shorter shelf life than plastic and harsh fasteners that could affect your product. Because wood will respond faster to wear and tear than plastic, it won’t last as long as plastic. The good news is that most suppliers can repair or recycle wood pallets. The fasteners used to put the pallets together could cause a problem if they puncture your goods or affect your product in any way, but most suppliers will work with you to ensure that the pallet design you choose won’t affect your product.
Pros and Cons of Plastic Pallets
Plastic pallets are almost three times the cost of wooden pallets, aren’t easy to repair, and aren’t created from sustainable resources. These pallets can be recycled, but the process isn’t as easy as wood and requires the plastic to melt down. If these pallets get trashed, it takes years for the plastic to break down, unlike wood. Plastic pallets don’t hold as much weight as wood and aren’t good for exporting products.
Plastic does have a longer shelf life than wood, and you may find that your plastic pallets outlast your wooden pallets by years. There’s also no risk for insect damage to plastic, and the lack of fasteners reduces the risk of damage to the product. These pallets are durable and strong, but still don’t hold as much weight as wood. When looking at pallets for sale in Atlanta, consider your shipping needs and warehousing needs when choosing between wood and plastic.
If you’d like to see a selection of pallets for sale in Atlanta, Contact Premier Pallets, Inc.