It is assumed that conventional materials such as wood are superior for the transportation and storage of materials. This common misconception is a result of the lack of understanding and awareness about the sustainability effect of wood, the industry baseline, and the lack of knowledge about alternatives such as plastics. In reality, many cases have proven the contrary. For example, the utilization of plastic pallets has been proven to be the best option. This paper will examine the advantages, cost and technical comparisons between wood and plastic pallets. In addition, the transformation journey to the utilization of plastic pallets will be detailed. The detailed technical comparison will cover areas such as plastic pallets' weight, durability, safety, and flexibility in design and utilization among other criteria. It will also analyze in-depth the sustainability and environmental impact, addressing recyclability and CO2 emissions. Lastly, a successful transformation of an application from wood pallets to plastic pallets will be detailed.
Pallets have been used in transporting and storing goods such as consumables, food & beverages, and chemicals for many years. Pallets have multiple designs and dimensions and can be produced from multiple raw materials such as wood, plastic, and metal. The most common types of pallets are wooden and plastic, while wooden pallets have been used the longest and possess the largest share of the global market. Alternatively, plastic pallets have been used less due to many factors such as that pallet management companies can charge more upon breakage or damage, and since plastic pallets are more durable, they break less than wooden pallets. In addition, it is debated that plastic pallets have a negative impact on the environment, while others insist on its superior environmental and technical ad vantages compared to the conventional solution, the wooden pallets. Recently, sustainability has been at the forefront of discussions, and many misconceptions may arise about plastics. However, it has been proven that plastic pallet advantages outweigh other materials from both an environmental and technical perspectives. The Oil Sustainability Program (OSP), alongside major private sector companies, are making efforts to raise awareness on the value plastic pallets bring to the industry, environment, and economy by shedding light on advantages such as durability, cost-effectiveness, weight, safety, and hygiene. Moreover, plastic pallets are recyclable and do not lead to deforestation. Those characteristics have made many major petrochemical and logistics companies in Saudi Arabia shift to 100% utilization of plastic pallets in their operations instead of wooden pallets.
