Wooden Pallet Alternatives

There are a wide variety of alternatives to wooden pallets available, including the use of slip sheets, reusable pallets, corrugated paperboard pallets and rolling carts. These products are usually tailored to a company’s specific needs and are often reusable, recyclable and easy to clean.

Slip Sheets
One alternative to wooden pallets is the use of “slip sheets.” Slip sheets are flat sheets, 1/32” to 1/16” thick, manufactured from corrugated, solid fiber or plastic (usually polypropylene or high density polyethylene). Each sheet has one to four “tabs” that run the length of the sheet and are bent upward for grabbing by push/pull attachments used on retrofitted forklifts. They may be custom-designed with alterable features including thickness, size, number of tabs, and coatings for tensile strength, slip resistance and moisture resistance. The California Integrated Waste Management Board has produced a list of Slip Sheet Manufacturers. A simple Web search may also yield more leads for slip sheet vendors.

Slip sheets may be best used in a warehouse or distribution center. Slip sheets are lighter and less bulky, use less storage space and are inexpensive enough for one-time use to avoid the need to keep track of pallets. However, switching to slip sheets could entail a large start-up cost as they require a push/pull forklift attachment that can cost more than $5,000. If used for external deliveries, customers must also be in a position to handle slip sheets instead of pallets, including having push/pull attachments.

Reusable Containers
Reusable containers are another possible alternative that can be employed to avoid the use and generation of wooden pallets. They can be manufactured from plastic, corrugated, solid fiber or metal. The strength, durability and cleanliness of reusable containers depend upon the material used. Containers can be ordered to fit your needs, including size, shape, color, partitions and reusable cushioning systems. Features offered include being stackable, nestable and collapsible for convenient storage and return.

Despite higher initial costs, these pallets may save money in the long run. According to the Purdue University AGVS Research Group, the average life of these pallets is 100 trips, where one trip is defined as five handlings. These pallets usually meet both USDA and FDA standards for pharmaceutical, chemical, grocery and food processing operations as they can be sanitized and steam cleaned. They also exhibit low breakage rates and work well with automated material handling systems. Product damage is lowered and employee safety is increased when using these pallets because they have no nails, staples or broken boards.

Plastic, composite and metal pallets are best used in a closed loop or internal use system where shipping is restricted to moving goods within or between specified plants and facilities. Closed-loop systems operate under one or more of the following conditions: short distance shipments, frequent deliveries to the same customer, delivery to a limited number of customers and/or delivering with company-owned vehicles.

• Plastic Pallets
  Plastic pallets are created in three general forms. Plastic lumber pallets resemble the wooden pallet with the exception that the boards are made from extruded plastic. Structural foam and thermoformed pallets are distinctive in style as they are one solid piece of plastic. These pallets have no nails, screws or staples, thus reducing product damage and employee injuries. They often offer a grooved deck, a raised lip on the outer edges and hollow feet that provide nesting capacities saving storage space. Some plastic pallet manufacturers have worked to create a rackable structural foam or thermoformed pallet. Heat and weight may prove a detriment to these types of pallets if they bend under open racking conditions.
• Composite Pallets
  Composite pallets, as their name states, are made of two or more distinct materials. Some are made from a combination of plastics while others are extrusions of sawdust, wood shavings and recycled plastics. Composite pallets have high loading capacities and racking ability like wooden pallets, but are easily cleaned like plastic pallets.
• Metal Pallets
  Metal pallets generally are made of aluminum or stainless steel. They are most often used in applications where the pallets do not leave a facility. Metal pallets are the strongest and most durable pallets on the market. They are usually heavier than their wooden counterparts and have a much higher initial cost. Metal pallets are most often used in a manufacturing setting where a pallet is needed to withhold heavy racking weights, high temperatures, the rigors of conveyor systems and cleanliness standards set by the FDA and USDA.

Corrugated Paperboard Pallets
A small percentage of manufactured pallets are made from corrugated paper or pressed wood composites. Reasons for using corrugated pallets include light weight, recycling ease and strength. Some corrugated pallets boast static load capacities as heavy as 30,000 pounds. Corrugated pallets are also able to meet the special dimensions and disposal needs for shipping goods to Europe. Some European customers request corrugated pallets because they can be recycled with corrugated boxes. For those interested in completing the loop and buying recycled, corrugated pallets are typically manufactured from recycled paper.

However, there are drawbacks to corrugated pallets. First, they can be relatively expensive, especially when used only once. Corrugated pallets are not as durable as wooden, plastic or metal pallets, and products often must be stacked in specified ways for the pallet to hold the load. Furthermore, exposure to moisture will damage corrugated pallets possibly causing pallet failure.

Rolling Carts
Rolling carts usually made from heavy duty plastic or metal can be tailored to fit odd shaped products with considerably less protective packaging. Rolling carts tend to save labor and reduce injuries, as they are easier to work with than pallets. Savings on labor, injuries and protective packaging can often pay for these carts within a year.