Plastic pallets maintain their position as the top alternative material to wood in the Pallet Enterprise’s most recent Alternative Materials Pallet Guide. However, the marketing of customization options seem to have risen by providers of alternative materials pallets in the last year.
This guide is the most complete resource of its kind – a great tool to assist pallet companies in finding niche pallet products for specialty needs. The included information is gathered from company completed surveys and publicly available information.
Over 40% of the companies listed in the guide tables provide custom pallets and for multiple companies it is the primary pallet style offered. Several companies manufacture each pallet to unique customer specifications only. Most companies still provide standard pallet styles, but the emphasis on being able to provide custom pallets for specific needs is increasing.
Though plastic pallets are offered by 68% of the listed companies, more than any other type of alternative material pallet, there is a wide range of different processes used to manufacture them. These include rotational molding, using plastic lumber, one piece injection molded, and vacuum formed, among others.
After plastic pallets, corrugated pallets are the second alternative material pallet of choice, provided by 29% of companies. Steel and aluminum were ranked third and fourth, offered by 19% and 13% of companies respectively. Other types of available pallets include metal, composite, wood composite, wood packaging with metal hardware, presswood, and honeycomb.
As the guide shows, the features available on alternative material pallets continue to be numerous, including hot stamp or label identification, RFID tracking, coatings or designs to increase slip resistance, features for containing spills, and more. Some also feature metal reinforcements. Designs include the standard block-style, stringer pallets, two-way and four-way entry, the standard GMA footprint, and of course many custom styles. Dynamic strength may vary from as little as 250 pounds up to 30,000 pounds. Prices range from just $1.50 to $3,500. Many pallets are also capable of nesting and racking.
At least 73% of the companies listed provide export or expendable pallets. Also, the lack of heat-treatment or fumigation requirements for non-wooden pallets continues to be a marketing focus for many companies that tout their products as a better alternative to wood.
