The recent extensive drought in the United States has once again reignited the debate about the excessive burning of fossil fuels. While there is still no clear-cut evidence that global warming has contributed to a dry spell that's being compared to the great dry period of the 50s, the evidence is mounting. And this of course is, as always, great news for the wood pallet manufacturing industry—but not so for manufacturers of plastic pallets.
Have you spotted the elephant in the room, yet?
That's right, plastic pallets can only be produced by the burning of fossil fuels...petroleum and gas to be precise. On the other hand, wood pallets have no such issues connected to their manufacture, so there is not the same negative impact on the environment.
And while we're at it lets debunk two other myths about plastic pallets and their supposed advantages over wood.
Durability
Plastic pallets are often touted for their strength and durability, but this isn’t true. In warehousing applications, it’s important to be aware of the load bearing specs of plastic pallets and ensure that storage pallets have a LOWER weight than the posted weight-carrying specs. This is because plastic pallets are at risk of plastic creep...sudden failure, allowing for the potential risk of collapse, damage and injury.
Cleanliness
The plastic pallets industry cite the risk of contamination from wood pallets (larvae and insects) that may contaminate goods. In actual fact, when compared to heat-treated wood pallets, plastic pallets are far more likely to contaminate freight. Heat treated pallets are incredibly sanitary, whereas plastic pallets—born from the burning of fossil fuels and the associated chemical processes—can leech harmful chemicals that definitely will contaminate high-risk products that demand cleanliness such as food and pharmaceutical products
HWP pallets is a southern Quebec based wood pallet manufacturer. HWP can also be counted as a New England pallet manufacturer due to the company’s proximity to the U.S. border. Rely on HWP for the rapid delivery of all your wood pallet and custom wood packaging solutions.
For further information, contact HWP today.
