What Are the Advantages of Reconditioned Wooden Pallets?

If pallets did not exist it would be necessary to invent them! Can you imagine how much the efficiency of goods transport would be compromised without this simple but ingenious support for moving heavy loads and bulk consignments? It’s arguable that only the invention of the container has had a more profound effect on the ease and speed with which products can be shipped all over the world. Today, we are accustomed to seeing logistics firms’ pallets built from manmade materials but wood remains the most widely used material and the durability of this natural substance means that refurbished pallets and non-standard pallets in bespoke sizes have grown increasingly popular.

There are many advantages to using reconditioned pallets. For one thing, it eliminates the extravagant waste of simply decommissioning used pallets which may have developed only minor flaws. Pallets take a severe beating on their journeys backwards and forwards so it is inevitable that they will be damaged, but there is no justifiable reason for consigning them to the fire or the chipping machine if there is still valuable use to be had from them.

Advantages of Refurbished Pallets

Sustainability is a matter we all need to take seriously. Wood is frequently described as sustainable material because it quite literally grows on trees. But planting new trees to compensate for discarded pallets does little to address the present need. Cutting down trees to make such functional items is not recommended. It is surely preferable to save such a precious resource for use in the furniture. The construction industry, or, better still, leave it in the forests. Millions of wooden pallets are taken out of use every year when with a little thought and application they could relatively cheaply be stripped of their flawed elements and repaired or combined with other salvage to make something as good as new. This would be of huge benefit to the environment.

It is also in the financial interests of companies that use pallets to go down this route because refurbished pallets work out to be cheaper than buying new ones. You pay for the convenience but it amounts over time to a significant, unnecessary expense. Anyone in the construction or carpentry trades will tell you the price. The price of raw materials such as wood has skyrocketed in recent years. There is no sign of reversing this any time soon, the economic case for refurbished pallets is easy to make.

2 billion pallets are currently in service with an extra 450 million being manufactured every year. Fortunately, the industry has grown wise to the benefits of recycling and today, over 350 million are reused and fewer than 1% of recovered pallets end up in landfills. Even when a pallet really does reach the end of its life, it can be recycled as highly useful mulch

Non-Standard Pallets

Many types of goods need to be carried on non-standard pallets because they may be of a shape and size that makes the standard format impractical. Pallet manufacturers can readily supply these. If you have a stock of slightly damaged pallets then it is possible to make your own non-standard ones. At any rate, you should encourage your pallet supplier to use recycled materials wherever possible.

Safety Issues

The only reasonable objections to using recycled pallets are those that could be made on safety grounds. If a pallet has failed in some way while carrying a potentially hazardous load, can a transport company or warehouse operation be confident it won’t happen again? The industry has anticipated such objections by ensuring that recycled pallets conform to the same safety standards as new ones. They replace all damaged boards and slats. They use new nails. All protrusions are removed. Any wood that has become warped will either be straightened or discarded. To all intents and purposes, a recycled pallet is as strong, safe and reliable as a new one. It may not be made of pristine wood but it is perfectly capable of carrying out its function.

In an ideal world, there would be a global commitment to the recycling of wooden pallets. There are very few reasons to make new ones a priority when it is feasible to reuse old ones. Save money and help protect the environment.