Plastic Pallets

The growing shortage of hardwood has increased the cost of wooden pallets to a point at which plastic pallets and composites of wood, paper, and plastics are economically feasible. Much development work is being done on plastic-pallet design to handle typical loadings. Because of the cost of disposing of expendable pallets, returnable ones are often Justified. 

Commingled plastics pallets, plastic wood, noise protection walls, etc. 

Creep refers to the tendency of a material to continue to deform over time when subjected to a constant load. Because of the viscoelastic nature of plastics, the molecules tend to slowly change their positions when subject to such extended stress, which can result in significant deformation over time. This is important in such diverse areas as plastic pallets and plastic bottles containing contents under pressure. 

Increasingly, plastic pallets are being used in place of wooden pallets for product distribution. Although the cost of a plastic pallet can be four times the cost of a wooden pallet, its lifetime is usually much longer, typically five to nine years. Repair of broken plastic pallets is not usually feasible, but they are recyclable. Consequently, there is frequently an overall economic advantage to using plastic pallets. Because plastic pallets represent a substantial investment, their use is most suitable in situations where the distribution environment is relatively controlled, so that loss can be minimized. 

Underwriter s Laboratories (UL) during 2001 developed a standard for pallets. The new UL 2335 was created to classify plastic pallets to meet requirements of the recently revised National Fire Protection Assoc, standard NFPA 13. That change allows plastic pallets to be treated like wood pallets if test data indicate that the burning characteristics of the plastic pallets are equal or better than wood (UL telephone 847-664— 1508). 

Nucon Corporation buys olf-specilicaiion or off-grada raskis. ragnno and obsolete or surplus virgin resins. They operate a cleaning or prorressing system handling post-consumer scrap and make recycled plastic pallets. 

Plastic Pallets Rival Wood, Steel Models, Plastics News, November 17,1997, p. 30. 

Empty pallets can be a considerable fire hazard, a fact that is often ignored. The stacking height of wood or nonexpanded polyethylene solid deck pallets should be limited to 6 feet, and they should be kept in a small area in detached piles. Other types of plastic pallets should be piled no more than 4 feet high, with no more than two stacks together. They should be kept 8 feet from other... 

Apart from the reprocessors of post consumer plastics, other companies have continued to specialize in waste plastics from industrial and commercial operations. The recycling of plastic pallet wrap is expanding across the country. Used electrical wire and cable is being reprocessed primarily for the recovery of metals however a number of specialized operations recycle the cable insulators, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride. Similarly a few facilities exist to recycle waste automotive trim and foam polystyrene packaging. A considerable effort is being expended to find applications for plastic auto shredder residue which is the by product of the automobile recycling industry which currently recovers metals from end of life automobiles. At present viable applications are still understudy and current residues continue to be landfilled. 

Plastic Pallets. These pallets are more expensive than wood ones and in some cases are more expensive than metal ones. However, good or broken plastic pallets can be recycled. Sometimes, a broken pallet can also be repaired. Many manufacturers guarantee life of the pallet to be 5 to 10 times longer than an ordinary wood pallet. Food and pharmaceutical industries have been the traditional users of plastic pallets, since they require a high standard of cleanhness. 

The risk of fire must be a major consideration in product storage. Idle pallet storage introduces a severe fire condition that is incidental to most storage practices. Wooden pallets and certain solid plastic pallets should be stored no higher than six feet while indoors. Check the local fire regulations or ask for assistance from the insurance carrier to determine pallet storage requirements both inside and outside the warehouse. 

Changing from storage in cardboard boxes on wooden pallets to plastic boxes on plastic pallets increases the fire hazard. Greater protection is needed for product storage areas as well as areas where empty boxes and pallets are kept. Pallet storage must be in compliance with the NFPA code. 

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