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“Plastic hygienic pallets are not only sustainable
because of their reusability, but they also are safe,
cleanable and dimensionally consistent.” — Ryan Roessler, Orbis
n PLASTIC, METAL OR WOOD
Both public opinion and federal legisla- tion have made food safety a high priority for everything associated with produce. Contamination is one argument for using plastic because it can be disinfected while pathogens from the previous load could still be living on the wood.
“With the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) driving the need for supply chain cleanliness, plastic pallets offer a clean and hygienic way to move product in the supply chain,” says Ryan Roessler, plastic pallet product manager at Orbis in Milwaukee. “A supplier can help compa- nies find the plastic pallet that works best for them. Automation, equipment, environmental conditions and load weight are considered when creating a reusable plastic pallet system customized to each customer’s supply chain.”
Forty-five percent of the respondents to Peerless Research’s 2017 Pallet Market Evaluation Study reported using plastic in 2017, up from 40 percent just two years earlier, while metal remained constant at around 10 percent.
“Plastic hygienic pallets are not only sustainable because of their reusability, but they also are safe, cleanable and dimensionally consistent,” says Roessler. “Hygienic pallets are nonporous, so they cannot absorb moisture, odor or mold. They also don’t have cavities or hollow areas that can collect water. Their one-piece design is easy to wash and dry, and their contoured surfaces and
corners lower the risk of product loss from handling damage.”
Wood still commands the market, however, in part because it is a relatively economical renewable material.
“Wood continues to dominate the pallet market,” says Annette Ferri, vice president of communications at the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association. “More than 90 percent of all pallets made, according to Modern Materials Handling, are made from wood. Wood is the preferred material because of its strength, durability, recyclability and the ability to customize a pallet, all while meeting cost requirements.”
Pressed wood can be used to create pallets using a minimum amount of material, almost all of it renewable.
“Litco’s engineered molded wood pallets are easy on the environment,” says Gary Sharon, vice president of Litco Inernational in Vienna, OH. “They are the first pallets to achieve the honor of Cradle to Cradle Certified by working with MBDC (Charlottesville, Va.), the leading Cradle to Cradle assessors. One reason is they are engineered by design to do more with less. That means they can carry more static and dynamic product load while using less materials and energy. Litco’s molded wood pallets have also earned the designation as a USDA Certified BioBased Product for using a high percentage of renewable, plant- based materials.” pb
40 / APRIL 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS