Are plastic pallets better than wooden pallets?

It’s true, we’re a purveyor of plastic pallets. Therefore, you’d expect us to tell you we think plastic is better than wood – so, here’s why we think you’ll agree.

Reputedly 95% of importers and exporters worldwide still use wood but, here at APE, we believe that is more a product of habit than best practice. And we’re here to convert you!

The benefits of plastic pretty quickly stack up when you compare the features of plastic and wooden pallets.

Plastic pallets are safe for use in the food, chemicals and medical industries because they are easy to keep hygienic. Unlike untreated wood, they can be hosed clean. They do not absorb liquids, which means they don’t stain and are resistant to the formation of moulds and bacteria.

Short term versus long term profits

And, even if mass-produced, untreated standard wooden pallets are, at first glance, more affordable than custom-built plastic pallets, you are not comparing like to like. Once those wooden pallets are heat-treated, customised and certified – the perceived cost-savings are far less persuasive.

Studies indicate that the working life of plastic pallets can be ten times longer than their wooden contemporaries. Therefore, going for the ‘cheaper’ option can fairly quickly become a false economy to those businesses that are buying their tenth fleet of wooden pallets while you’re still using your first fleet of plastic ones.

So, even if wood is cheaper in the short term, plastic pallets are far more cost effective in the medium than wooden ones.

Plastic pallets are also safer to handle as they don’t absorb contaminants and don’t splinter, like wood can. This means they cause fewer hazards for those working with them.

Also, if your APE pallets are damaged, we can repair or replace parts to make them effectively as good as new. This greatly extends the potential work life of your plastic pallets.

Then, as with our parent company, ALLpaQ, we are committed to the environment and to being a responsible manufacturer. Therefore, when any of our plastic products reach the end of their work lives, we will take them back and recycle.

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Weighing in on the benefits

Then there is the weighty matter of … weight. A standard wooden pallet weighs about 50 lbs (or 22 kilos). A comparable plastic pallet will weigh-in between 10 and 15 lbs (4.5 – 7 kilos).

The weight of a custom pallet will depend on its construction and the size of its deck. But, the weight savings compared to a wooden pallet of the same configuration will be proportionately the same.

We use our modelling software to give you a good estimation of what the weight of your custom pallets will be. This means you’re fully-informed ahead of fabrication.

Lighter pallets bring cost savings when shipping your products around the world. Significant additional savings come from shipping those empty plastic pallets back to base.

All of which means that plastic pallets are punching way above their weight!

You can learn more about our process for creating customised plastic pallet perfection.

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So, if 95% of the marketplace is still using wood – we know that’s a massive potential market for our superior custom plastic pallets. We’re looking forward to persuading ever-more customers of the power of plastic.

Why not talk to us about a custom plastic pallet solution that we can create for your business? Or, to learn more about what we do, fill in a few salient details in the form below, and we’ll get in touch.

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APE

ALLpaQ Plastic Engineering

When it comes to designing and fabricating low-cost, high-quality custom plastic pallets, we're the eighth wonder of the world!