Wood vs Plastic Pallets

Pallets can be built in virtually any size and from a variety of materials, including wood, plastic, steel, aluminium, cardboard and composite hybrids.

Wood has always been the most common material used for pallets due to its durability, cost-effectiveness, ability to be repaired, and minimal consumption of natural resources.  It is a common misconception that the use of wood pallets results in deforestation.  Although new wood pallets (used primarily for non-standard sizes) are made from virgin lumber, trees are rarely cut down to make pallets.  Instead, trees are cut down to product more valuable items such as building materials and furniture.  New wood pallets are built from the downfall (unattractive lumber) that is left over from this process which is typically discarded if not made into pallets.

The majority of reusable wood stringer pallets in circulation are recycled pallets (used pallets that have been repaired using lumber acquired from irreparable pallets), reducing their cost in addition to their environmental impact.

Wooden pallets are sustainable.  When wood pallets reach the end of their useful life they can be converted into value-added products like wood flooring or replacement parts for other pallets.  Alternatively, they are ground into mulch or stove pellets.

Recently, plastic pallets (made from high-density polyethylene or HDPE) have become more prevalent, though plastic pallets are still used in less than 10% of applications, including internal pools.

The production of a common 48x40 plastic pallet consumes eight times more raw material than a comparable reusable wood pallet.  In addition, the manufacturing process used to make plastic pallets consumes five times more energy, releases more emissions into our air and water, and contributes more waste than reusable wood pallets.

Whilst plastic pallets can be recycled, when you follow the manufacturing chain of a plastic pallet from oil well, to refinery, to oil tanker, to the plastic processing plant and add up all the pollution and environmental stress that accumulates along the way, even something that ends up being recyclable doesn’t necessarily end up to be a champion of the environment.

Plastic, in any form, isn’t green in any measurable degree.

For cost comparison, plastic pallets are around 3 times more expensive than wooden pallets.

Check out our website http://www.pallets.co.uk/ for more information and specifications about our bespoke wooden pallets and cases.