We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • CSCMP EDGE 2023
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Wood or plastic? That is the pallet question
Forward Thinking

Wood or plastic? That is the pallet question

December 1, 2008
Supply Chain Quarterly Staff
No Comments

For years debate has raged in the pallet industry about which type of platform is better for the environment—wood or plastic. At first glance, the answer may seem clear: Wood pallets are made from lumber, a renewable resource, whereas plastic pallets are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is created from petroleum or natural gas. But some pallet companies say it's actually more complicated than that.

To get at the answer, researchers have been honing a tool called a lifecycle assessment (LCA), which tries to quantitatively assess the environmental impact of a product over its lifetime. Standardized under ISO 1440 guidelines, LCAs consider factors such as how much solid, liquid, and gaseous waste is generated at each stage of a product's life.

A number of companies in the pallet industry have commissioned assessments of their products. Pallet pool manager iGPS, for example, hired the consulting firm Environmental Resource Management to conduct lifecycle assessments of iGPS's plastic pooled pallets as well as wood pooled pallets and single-use wood pallets. The study found that the plastic pallet had a lower environmental impact than its wood counterparts in all of the categories assessed. CHEP, another larger pallet pooler, has also commissioned an LCA. Its study, conducted by the environmental consulting firm Franklin Associates, compared the pallets used in CHEP's pallet pool system to oneway pallets, pallets used in pallet exchanges, and slipsheets.

Not everyone, however, is convinced by the studies. Bruce Scholnick, president of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association, a U.S.-based organization, contends that the assessments he has seen are based on flawed data. In particular, he argues that the deciding factor in most of the studies—the number of trips a pallet can make in its lifetime—is based on potentially incorrect assumptions. For instance, Scholnick notes that the "number of trips" standard fails to take into account the resiliency of wood pallets. If a plastic or metal pallet were run over by a truck on its first trip, for example, it would likely have to be written off as a total loss; a wood pallet in a similar situation could be repaired and reused.

For all the controversy surrounding the studies, it's unclear how much effect the "wood versus plastic" debate will ultimately have on pallet manufacturers, pool managers, and users. Right now, customers are genuinely interested in being environmentally responsible—but only if it is economically rewarding. Derek Hannum, director of marketing for CHEP, for example, says that for most customers, the primary consideration is still whether the pallet offers the performance they need at a cost that they can afford.

[Source: "Streamlined Life Cycle Assessment of the IGPS Pallet, the Typical Pooled Wooden Pallet, and the Single-Use Wooden Pallets," Environmental Resource Management Inc., August 2008: www.igps.net; and "CHEP Calculator," www.chep.com/onepallet]

    • Related Articles

      Reshore or offshore? That is the question

      Rollin' on the river—the Yangtze, that is

      The big question: Can you do more with less?

    Recent Articles by Supply Chain Quarterly Staff

    Warehouse automation market to regain momentum in 2024 and 2025

    Gartner: Procurement leaders say their talent is not ready to meet future needs

    Walmart picks Swisslog AS/RS for milk processing facility

    You must login or register in order to post a comment.

    Report Abusive Comment

    Most Popular Articles

    • Walmart to open fifth “next-gen” fulfillment center in 2026

    • 53% of procurement leaders expect to increase their spending in 2024

    • U.S. faces permanent labor shortage, says University of Tennessee economist

    • Pepsi exec highlights four key structural changes in the supply chain

    • What skills will you need in the Age of AI?

    Featured Video

    Edge2023 innovationtheater here technologies

    CSCMP EDGE 2023 Innovation Theater: Enabling Peak Performance in Last-Mile Delivery Through Private Mapping and Custom Routing - HERE Technologies

    CSCMP EDGE 2023
    At HERE Technologies, we understand the hypercompetitive world of e-commerce, retail, and parcel delivery is increasing in complexity every day. End customers demand ever-increasing delivery performance levels regarding on-time arrivals, flexibility in delivery schedules, pricing and payment options, and more....

    FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

    • Balancing Act: How Freight Brokers Help Shippers Navigate Uncertainty

    • Quarterly Freight Data Report: Q3 2023

    • A Brighter Future: How COVID-19 Continues to Change Freight Procurement Strategies for the Better

    • Five questions to ask before electrifying your indoor forklift fleet

    View More

    Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

    Get Your Subscription
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • E-NEWSLETTERS
    • ADVERTISING
    • CUSTOMER CARE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • STAFF
    • PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing