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How Pallets Made from Recycled Plastic Support Sustainability Efforts
Plastics are so commonplace that we forget how amazing this class of materials really is. A plastic bottle is a strong, lightweight, waterproof, and vapor-proof material that will not rot or decay for years. Plastic is so lightweight that even large objects like car bumpers can be lifted by a single person. Yet, discarded plastics…
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Static Load Vs. Dynamic Load: Demystifying Pallet Load Ratings
ARTICLE UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 Static Load vs. Dynamic Load: Demystifying Pallet Load Ratings Understanding the distinction between a dynamic load and a static load within a warehouse is essential for ensuring the safety of employees and products. Simply put, a static load refers to stationary loads, while dynamic loads involve movement. Specifically, within…
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Sustainable Freight Transportation Can Reduce Emissions
According to the World Bank, the number of people living in extreme poverty—less than $1 per day—went from 1.9 billion in 1990 to around $700 million in 2015. This drop has largely been possible due to the globalization of trade and manufacturing. It is a stunning accomplishment that deserves far more attention. It has not,…
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The 3 Best Supply Chain Optimization Tools
Investing in supply chain optimization tools such as automated storage and retrieval systems and palletizers is a major step for most organizations. These tools can increase efficiency, reduce human error, and ease the burden on employees of handling products and pallets. Yet, despite their benefits, they can be challenging to implement and to keep running…
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Why Black Plastic Pallets Are a Green Logistics Choice
UPDATED June 19, 2023 Color matters quite a bit for recycling plastic. The reason is that when different colors are recycled together, the result is either unreliable coloration—with the tint or hue being off—or an unattractive shade of brown, gray, or black. For this reason, the color black in HDPE plastic can be an indicator…
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Pallet Level Tagging: Using RFID to Track Pallet Loads
Reactions across the supply chain to pallet level tagging through radio-frequency identification (RFID) are mixed. Logistics managers on the retail and distribution center side of the supply chain are excited about the technology, and have been for some time. Walmart notably tried to mandate RFID pallet level tagging in 2003 as one of the chain’s…
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Warehouse Automation Best Practices: Setting Your Automation Up to Succeed
Some are predicting that by 2025, the warehouse automation market will double in size, reaching $27 billion in value. The primary driver of this is the massive ROI that automated systems provide. Many managers see the benefits of using equipment like automated picking equipment, robotic palletizers, and automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) that reduce…
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The Future of Wood Pallets: Is Wood Here to Stay?
Sustainability is an increasingly important topic in the supply chain, which could spell trouble for the future of wood pallets. For decades, wood shipping platforms have been the go-to for transporting products (and at one time, wood was the only type of pallet material available), but wood pallets don’t fully support a circular supply chain…