The debates continue to rage and seem destined to go forever...Kobe or LeBron? Ali or Frazier? Crosby or Ovechkin? Ronaldo or Messi? Wood pallets or plastic?
While the sporting debates may be difficult to resolve, the pallet debate can be resolved with two powerful arguments:
Environmental Cost
Wood pallets made in North America come from sustainable forests, so there is no negative environmental impact to the harvesting of wood for pallet manufacture. And there are few pollutants expended during the actual harvesting process. Plastic, on the other hand, is not a natural product. The construction of plastic pallets generates greenhouse emissions at every stage of the cycle—from extracting the necessary raw materials (oil and natural gas) to the conversion of the raw materials into plastic and the subsequent moulding into pallet shapes and sizes. From an environmental impact perspective, wood pallets are undoubtedly a better option than plastic.
Plastic Creep
The corridor that stretches from Quebec City down to Windsor, Ont. and impacts the New England business district is one of the busiest industrial sectors in North America. The region is dotted with warehouses that range in size anywhere from 200,000 square feet to the modern super warehouses of 800,000+ square feet. These multi-tier warehouses can be a health and safety nightmare if not managed correctly. Plastic is subject to ‘creep’, meaning it has a tendency to deform or collapse after long periods of exposure to high levels of stress that are below the yield point of the material.
In other words, a plastic pallet may collapse under the weight of the materials it is carrying EVEN IF THE PALLET HAS BEEN RATED AS STRONG ENOUGH TO CARRY THE LOAD.
HWP manufacture wood pallets and crates that have a minimal creep factor. HWP also complies with HT ISPM 15 certification, meaning the company is well placed to be your New England pallet manufacturer of choice. For more information or a quote on supply of standard or custom made wood pallets to your business, contact HWP today.
