"Palletable" alternatives

Shippers don't have to settle for the standard wooden pallet anymore. Pallet manufacturers now offer an array of platforms made of plastic, wire, and even aluminum.

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 8/1/1998

Not so long ago, pallets were made entirely from wood. But no longer. Today, environmentally conscious manufacturers are making skids out of plastic and other materials.

As states restrict landfill disposal, making it more difficult to get rid of old wooden pallets, shippers increasingly are turning to these alternatives. Manufacturers are responding to this demand by making pallets out of materials that extend the platform's life. What follows are some options now available in the marketplace.

Stone Container Corp. offers "Cordeck," a shipping platform constructed from 100-percent recyclable corrugated materials. The platform has three primary components--a smooth load-bearing top surface and a bottom deck sheet separated by a series of wound corrugated cores that are shaped and positioned to provide true four-way entry for fork trucks and pallet jacks.

Cordeck platforms are lightweight. A 48- by 40-inch platform weighs only 12 pounds. In addition, the units have no splinters, indentations, or protruding fasteners to damage product or injure personnel.

Stone Container can custom engineer Cordeck platforms to a customer's unit-load needs. Pallets are shipped completed, assembled, and ready for use in a warehouse.