Plastic Pallets: Your Definitive Guide

A plastic pallet is a flat platform made from durable plastic, used for transporting, storing, and handling goods. Unlike wooden pallets, plastic pallets are resistant to moisture, chemicals, and pests, making them ideal for hygienic environments.

There’s a reason companies are switching from wood to plastic pallets — and there’s a reason so many retailers are asking them to switch. Plastic pallets are the next evolution in unit-load level shipping platforms. Companies that have adopted plastic pallets as their primary shipping platform have lowered their Total Cost of Business (TCOB) and increased the sustainability of their supply chain thanks to the many quantifiable advantages of plastic.

To help you determine what kind of plastic pallet you need, we’ve prepared a definitive guide. Clicking on a pallet below will take you to a description of that pallet type and how it’s used in the supply chain:

Guide

Each type of plastic pallet has its strengths, which are adapted to the industry in which it is meant to work. Some pallet types also have specific weaknesses that make them unsuitable for use outside the industry or region for which they were designed. Choosing the right plastic pallet for your business drives supply chain efficiencies that can reduce your TCOB and make your business more environmentally friendly.

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What Kinds of Plastic Are Used to Make Pallets?

The type of plastic a pallet is made of affects how it is used, how many times it can be reused, and whether it can be recycled economically. It’s important to understand some basic facts about plastic before you choose the plastic pallets your company will be using over and over again.

Plastic is really a catch-all term for a synthetic polymer, which is formed of repeating strings of smaller molecules — called monomers — bonded together to form long molecular strands. The polymers used to make plastic pallets are synthetic and fall into the two broad categories below:

Of the two types of plastics that can be used to make pallets, thermoplastics are preferred and far more common. Their ease of recyclability ensures a supply of materials for reuse and helps companies create a sustainable closed-loop, or circular, supply chain. The three most common types of thermoplastics used to make plastic pallets are:

Another issue for both PVC and ABS plastic pallets is their vulnerability to deformation by common solvents. ABS shows some degradation with exposure to common food products like citric acid and milk, and severe degradation when exposed to common industrial solvents like acetone. PVC has fewer vulnerabilities but can also degrade with exposure to acetone. The reactivity of these two plastics and the potential for chemical leaching and physical degradation when exposed to common substances make them unsuitable for use as plastic pallets in the food industry and other sensitive industries.

PE plastics, in comparison, have a wide range of compatibility with solvents and are the preferred choice for use as plastic packaging for food. HDPE also has the strength for heavy-duty industrial use. Of the three types of thermoplastics that can be used to make plastic pallets, HDPE is by far the most versatile option. When HDPE is used to make plastic pallets in a standardized size, the result is a pallet that can be used in nearly any industry without difficulty.

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What Sizes Do Plastic Pallets Come In?

Just as different languages are spoken in different countries, some pallet sizes are used only in certain countries or industries. This means that moving a pallet load of product from one stage of the supply chain to another, or from one country to another, isn’t always simple. Differences in product packaging may mean that products don’t fit efficiently on a pallet and different transportation methods might mean that pallets don’t easily fit into containers, which can lead to wasted space and product damage.

In order to ensure a measure of uniformity among pallets, local trade associations standardized sizes and specifications. Later, six of these national standards were adopted as international specifications by the International Organization for Standards (ISO). The full six, their measurements in metric and American Customary Units, and their region of use, can be seen in the following chart:

ISO Standard Pallet Sizes

Trading Name	Dimensions in Inches	Dimensions in Millimeters	Region
Consumer Brands Association (CBA) (formerly GMA)	48×40	1016×1219	North America
EURO	31.5×47.24	800×1200	Europe
1200×1000 (EURO 2)	39.37×47.24	1000×1200	Europe, Asia
Australian Standard Pallet (ASP)	45.9×45.9	1165×1165	Australia
International Pallet (no official name)	42×42	1067×1067	North America, Europe, Asia
Asian Pallet (no official name)	43.3×43.3	1100×1100	Asia

These six standardized pallet sizes are interoperable for international trade, but only to a certain extent. While all of these pallet types can be used with material handling equipment like forklifts and ISO standard shipping containers — at least to a degree — not all of them are compatible with regional storage systems. Pallet racking systems in Europe and North America are designed to hold pallets that measure approximately 1200 mm in width. Pallets with shorter dimensions will simply fall between the rack rails. ASP, Asian, and 1067 International square pallets are all too small for North American and European racking systems, yet they are still recognized as international standards for trade.

Pallets measuring at least 1200 mm (47 inches) are standard for consumer-facing supply chains in North America, Europe, and, increasingly, in Asia. Smaller pallet sizes are confined to internal markets in Asia and Australia or used for industry-to-industry trade. Industry-to-industry shipments use non-standardized pallets in a dizzying array of sizes, types, and forms. Some industries, such as the beverage industry, use a non-standard pallet size for their internal logistics but pack their products onto a CBA standard pallet for shipments to grocery retail partners. When choosing plastic pallets for your company, opting for a standard-sized pallet and using equipment that works with it at every point in your supply chain can simplify your company’s logistics operations.

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Industry — Specific Pallets and Pallet Forms

Within industries, there’s a pallet for every purpose. There are so many, in fact, that an exhaustive list isn’t possible. However, industry-specific plastic pallet types that are common and often used across multiple industries do bear mentioning.

Plastic Pallet Types by Industry

The type of plastic pallet that an industry uses is often determined by the specific operational requirements of that industry. The most common industry-specific pallet types can be found below:

Frequently, industry-specific pallets like those listed above are used only at certain stages of the supply chain, while ISO standard pallets are used at other points in the supply chain. Auto parts, for instance, may ship from one factory to another on an automotive pallet, but those same parts will be shipped to a retail store on a more common 48×40-inch pallet designed to fit neatly into a truck.

Plastic Pallet Forms:

Simply put, a plastic pallet’s form is its shape, which affects how the pallet is handled and used. Pallets may be designed to be stacked on top of each other when they are fully loaded to make efficient use of transportation or may be designed to nest inside each other so that they take up very little space when empty. The most common types of pallet forms are listed below:

The form of a pallet gives it certain features. When empty and full pallets need to be carried on the same truck at the same time, a nestable pallet like the nine-legged pallet is a great advantage as empty pallets can nest within each other to take up as little room as possible. Since transportation legs from local bottling plants to local stores and back again often carry both empty and full pallets, nine-legged pallets are frequently used by the beverage industry. Features like these can protect profit margins by eliminating dead legs.

Features of Common Pallets and Skid Types

Pallet features are directly related to their form. Nestable, rackable, and stackable pallets have these characteristics because of their shape and design. Stackable plastic pallets can be stacked because they’re double-sided and are usually—but not always—edge rackable as a result as well. Due to their shape, nestable plastic pallets can’t be stacked or racked. Three-runner pallets are inexpensive and durable, but because of their two-way entry may create awkward situations where a pallet cannot be retrieved. Six-runner pallets have greater flexibility but also have a more complicated form and a higher price.

Other pallet features aren’t dependant on a pallet’s shape. How a plastic pallet is recycled and whether it is suitable for transporting food depend on the type of plastic out of which it’s made. How a type of plastic is formulated determines how well the pallet resists fire and how hot it burns. A plastic formulation is important because without additives plastic can melt and spread fire further and may require more water to suppress a fire. A majority of iGPS plastic pallets have received either UL 2335, FM 4996(1), or both fire performance ratings, demonstrating that their formulations help to prevent the spread of fire if ignited and that they exhibit burning characteristics equivalent to or better than wood. Pallet manufacturers may add other features to their pallets as well; some plastic pallets offer trackability through embedded RFID chips.

But which of these features is most important for your industry? The chart below shows which features matter most for common consumer goods industries.

(1) Gen 1 pallets(manufactured by Schoeller Arca Systems Inc.) received UL 2335 listing on July 20th, 2007 and FM Approvals 4996 listing BiPP4840 HR 6R on September 8, 2008 to September 25, 2012.

Key Positive: Strong Positive: Non-applicable:
	Nestable	Stackable	Rackable	Recyclable	Export	UL 2335/FM 4966 Fire Performance Rating	Heavy Duty/Industrial	Pooled	Trackable
Beverages
Dairy
Electronics
Automotive
Heavy Loads
Paper Products
Produce
Consumer Packaged Goods
Pharmaceutical
Meat and Protein
Canned Goods

Once you’ve decided what features you need, you can use the chart below to find out which of the most commonly used plastic pallet types and sizes will support those features.

	ISO Standard	Export	North American Standard Size	Nestable	Stackable	Rackable	Heavy Duty/ Industrial Available	Fire- Retardan	Recyclable (HDPE)	Pooled	Trackable	Two Way Accessible	Four Way Accessible
CBA	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Varies	Varies	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
EURO 1	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
1200×1000	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
ASP	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Int 1067	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Asia 1100	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Beverage	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Bulk Beverage	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Dairy	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Automotive	No	Yes	Yes	Varies	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	No	Varies	Varies
Half Pallet	No	Yes	Yes	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Custom	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Varies	Varies
Three Runner	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Nine Leg	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Varies	Varies	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Six Runner	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Varies	Varies	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Drum Pallets	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Varies	Yes	Varies	Yes	No	No	Varies	Varies

When it comes time to choose a plastic pallet, you’ll want to pick one that offers the features your particular industry needs. For instance, if your company harvests and ships fresh produce, it’s important to use a pallet that’s easy to clean and sanitize. You’ll also want to consider whether or not a pallet’s dimensions and weight function with existing equipment and storage systems used by the facilities and retailers in your supply chain. An example would be using a pallet with dimensions that fit the pallet racking at all locations through which it will travel. A pallet with a consistent handling profile that works smoothly with storage and transport equipment throughout the supply chain saves time and energy and reduces margin compression for all parties. It may also help your company cement a lasting and profitable relationship with retailers at the end of your supply chain.

A pallet management solution such as pallet pooling makes it possible to use one type of high-quality pallet throughout the supply chain. Pallet pooling services provide pallets when they are needed and arrange for their retrieval and reuse, taking the hassle out of pallet management.

Choosing the Right Plastic Pallet for Your Company

Perhaps the single most important aspect of a pallet is compatibility with existing storage and handling equipment. For example, the beverage and dairy industries use proprietary pallets because most dairies and bottling plants serve a local area. They manage their fleets of specially adapted trucks to deliver their products. However, when these same products travel through the grocery supply chain, they ship on standard CBA spec pallets so that grocery distribution centers can easily handle them. The automotive supply chain works similarly, repackaging auto parts for delivery to stores on CBA spec pallets. There is a good reason for this.

The CBA spec pallet is the preferred choice of the world’s largest economy and one of the most versatile pallets there is. It is compatible with North American and European standard racking, fits with minimal wasted space in ISO standard shipping containers, and has dimensions that are appropriately sized for everything from oil drums to automotive parts. Even in an industry with its own uniquely sized pallet, it’s likely that products will ship on CBA pallets to customers at the end of the supply chain. If your company ships to retailers in North America, then a CBA-spec plastic pallet will work seamlessly within your logistics system. For these reasons, it is the pallet size of choice for pallet pooling, and the one offered by iGPS through its pallet pooling service for companies across North America to use and reuse.

The iGPS pallet pool rents the highest quality CBA spec plastic pallets made from high-density polyethylene. They are rackable, trackable, compatible with all standard material handling equipment in North America and Europe, and accepted throughout North America. To enjoy the many benefits of a superior shipping platform compatible with nearly every supply chain worldwide, give our team a call today or email: info@igps.net.