Environmental concerns caused by climate change continue making headlines every day. As such, many businesses are fighting to achieve sustainability, especially those in the manufacturing and shipping industries. There are various ways to attain this without compromising budget or overall efficiency. 

The use of plastic pallets over wood has continued to prove more effective. While plastics are the main cause of concern when it comes to environmental protection, there are ways their use makes perfect sense. Here are four reasons why investing in custom plastic pallets can help conserve the environment.

Material Sourcing  

Wooden pallets are manufactured from timber, which is a very limited resource. Cutting down wood to make pallets contributes to global deforestation. On the contrary, there isn't such a thing when it comes to custom plastic pallets.

Aside from energy, only specific elements required to make plastic are utilised. Furthermore, most plastic pallets are carbon- or silicon-based. These two elements occur naturally, and their use leaves little or no environmental imprints.

Pallet Production 

After cutting down trees, the lumber requires various treatments before being used for wooden pallets. Treatment is a must for pallets required for shipping pharmaceutical or food products. Besides, when making international shipments, special lumber treatment is required to prevent the transfer of non-native bacteria or insects abroad. 

On the flip side, production of plastic pallets may leave a slight environmental impact but which is less damaging than that of wooden pallets. Also, energy used in plastic pallet production may be high, but there are various sustainable sources to minimise the costs, including wind and solar. These sources leave an insignificant environmental impact. 

Recyclability 

Wooden pallets may be biodegradable, but their use rate makes their advantages less exciting. Non-lacquered wood used to make pallets can take up to thirteen years to decompose fully and absorbed into the earth. Comparatively, custom plastic pallets are highly recyclable. When no longer fit for use due to wear and tear, plastic can be sent back to the manufacturing plant, melted down and remade into new products. 

Besides being an environmentally friendly way of handling their disposal, recycled plastic pallets can be re-introduced in the market again. Other useful products can also be designed from old plastics. Hence this promotes environmentally safe disposal and reuse of plastics. 

Shipping

Finally, custom plastic pallets are also environmentally friendly options when it comes to shipping. Wooden pallets are inherently heavier than plastic. As a result, companies must ship fewer products and as a result, make more shipments trips, which contributes to more CO2 emissions. Plastic pallets, on the other hand, are lightweight, and as such, allow more product shipment and fewer shipment trips. 

As discussed above, plastic pallets are highly sustainable compared to wooden pallets. Join the fight to protect the environment today by using custom plastic pallets.

For more information, contact a custom pallet supplier today.

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