Usefulness and Constraints of Pallet

Usefulness of Pallets

Advantages of wood pallets:
- easy to reuse, recycle, and repair.
- rigid and durable.
- cost-effective; they are the least expensive pallet material.
- made with scrap-quality wood that would probably be discarded because it is of low cosmetic value.
- biodegradable.
- Less than 3 percent of wooden pallets end up in landfills.

Advantages of plastics pallets
· offer durability
· hygienic surface
· reusability
· recyclability
· serve six to 10 years while an average wood pallet will last three to four years
· Reduced repair expenses, less product damage, streamlined operating efficiencies, improved use of warehouse space, elimination of wood disposal costs, and a safer, cleaner work environment
· Since plastic pallets don't absorb moisture, their weight is constant, making them easier to handle and allowing for outside storage.

Advantages of steel pallets
· often considered to be indestructible


Welded wire pallets have many advantages over wood skids
· higher tensile strength
· greater durability/ life span
· offering superior moisture resistance
· non porous
· will not support bacteria growth or insect larvae.

Constraints of Pallet

1. When they are unloaded, and stacked although they occupy only a small amount of space, they often become jammed with each other because of their conical feet and can thus be stacked only with great difficulty by hand, and not at all mechanically.

2. Pallets are manufactured from timber, the efficient cleaning of the pallets also arises in that it can be hard to satisfactorily clean the pallet and it is disadvantage especially when transporting goods that may be of a perishable or edible nature.

3. As timber pallet are constructed from a number of component parts, the cost of manufacturing and assembling the pallets is higher than desirable.

4. The labour content involved in the assembly means that such pallets have excessive assembly cost.

5.The cost of shipping goods on such known pallets is higher

6.Wooden pallets can contain invasive species of insects and plant diseases and have to be treated in order to be ship internationally.

7.Wooden pallets can get mouldy if they are exposed to moisture.

8.Wooden pallets can contain splinters.