“Pallets made from paper?”
PALLITE® has been in business for 15 years, supplying some of the world’s leading companies, and yet we are still sometimes met with surprise when we talk about our honeycomb paper cardboard pallets.
People often don’t believe us when we tell them that one of our standard paper pallets can safely hold up to 750kg – until they see it for themselves.
With this in mind, we’ve set out to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about paper pallets. Read on to find out more – some of the answers may surprise you!
What’s in a paper pallet? The science behind PALLITE®
Just how can paper hold up to 750kg? Well, as usual with these things, the devil is in the detail (or, in this case, the design!).
PALLITE® pallets are made up of our basic deck board, bonded to several pallet feet for stability. Inside the deck board, paper cells resembling honeycomb give the material its strength and durability.
A recognised construction technology originating in nature, honeycomb design is regularly found in other areas of manufacturing, including in furniture and cars.
Inside the PALLITE® pallet foot are a number of spiral-wound tubes made from laminated layers of fibreboard cut to size, held in place with two laminated ‘u’ profiles.
The tubes’ design gives the PALLITE® pallet foot its characteristic strength, as each tube is able to withstand up to seven tonnes of vertical weight.
Disclaimer: beware of imitations!
PALLITE® products are registered designs, which prevents other companies from directly imitating them. Our designs exceed the performance of any known paper-based pallet or pallet box. Even the most subtle of changes to our design from a competitor is likely to seriously affect the capability of a product.
How strong are paper pallets?
Very strong. One of our honeycomb paper cardboard pallets can hold up to 750kg in open beam racking (that’s the equivalent of one-and-a-half grand pianos, eight baby elephants, or a young rhinoceros!).
Bespoke versions of our paper pallets can hold even more.
Got a specific requirement in mind? Contact our team to discover the possibilities.
What sizes do paper pallets come in?
We can’t speak for other manufacturers, but the PALLITE® range of honeycomb paper cardboard pallets can be provided in any size to suit requirements, from standard UK and Euro sizes to something large enough to ship a car!
What are the benefits of switching to paper pallets?
There are many benefits to switching away from wooden and plastic pallets to paper pallet equivalents.
These include:
- Weight savings – A PALLITE® paper pallet weights from as little as 4.05kg. A typical weight saving in the region of 83% compared to a wooden pallet means businesses save on fuel and other transportation costs, including the price of air freight.
- Safer – The entire PALLITE® range, including our paper pallets, is manufactured from just paper and PVA glue, meaning no nails or splinters to cause injuries during handling.
- ISPM 15-exempt – Paper pallets are exempt from ISPM 15, so exporting businesses that switch to them from wooden pallets can save the money they would otherwise have had to spend on expensive heat-treated pallets.
- A more sustainable choice – Paper pallets are more environmentally friendly than their wooden and plastic equivalents. All the products in the PALLITE® range are made from between 80% and 100% recycled paper, which requires 70% less energy and water to produce than manufacturing virgin paper from trees, and produces 40% less greenhouse gases. Using just paper and PVA glue in their manufacture means they are also 100% recyclable at the end of their useful life, and can be pulped at the paper mills and turned back into recycled paper again and again, contributing to a circular economy.
Can paper pallets be used in clean environments?
Made from just paper and PVA glue, PALLITE® paper pallets have low moisture content, making them resistant to mould and other harmful bacteria. This allows them to provide a hygienic alternative to plastic pallets for transporting food items and pharmaceutical products, as well as for use in clean rooms.
Are paper pallets compatible with automated systems and palletisers?
Yes – it is possible to add a conveyor frame to a paper pallet or pallet box to allow it to be used in automated systems and with palletisers.
To find out more about the types of conveyor frames we offer at PALLITE®, and for advice on the best option to suit your needs, you can send us a message here.
What are the lead times for paper pallets?
Switching to paper pallets allows businesses to avoid the impact of materials shortages that can restrict the availability of wooden pallets. By using recycled paper in all our products, PALLITE® has effectively guaranteed itself an everlasting supply of raw material, as paper is one of the most highly recycled materials in the world.
This, together with our focus on manufacturing efficiency and client satisfaction, means our customers benefit from quick turnaround times, even for bespoke orders.
Got a specific requirement in mind? Contact us to see how quickly we can meet your needs.
Are paper pallets waterproof?
PALLITE® paper pallets can be successfully used in wet environments, but they are not waterproof and, for this reason, we recommend that our customers avoid their long-term exposure to water.
They are stronger than traditional corrugate or cardboard pallets due to our use of papers with high moisture resistance, and the layers of glue between the sheets that act as barriers to withstand water.
PALLITE® paper pallets: tried and tested
The team at the BIL Group manufactures sack trucks and other moving systems.
The company was looking for a more sustainable alternative to the standard wooden pallets on which its products were usually dispatched. They were attracted to the fact that all our products are 100% recyclable, and made from sustainable materials, but had concerns as to the strength and durability to provide a genuine alternative to wooden pallets in their supply chain.
We were able to demonstrate the strength capabilities of the PALLITE® paper pallet and the robustness of our manufacturing and quality control systems.
We ended up not only providing BIL Group with pallets and shipping boxes, but also redesigning the entire packaging system for their Skoots lightweight portable hydraulic moving system.
A unique design conceptualised specifically for the Skoots range, included a base pallet with location holes to keep the system positioned correctly, along with a shipping crate wall and lid to protect it in transit.
The BIL Group was delighted with the results provided by our paper pallets, protective packaging and shipping boxes. Not only have they fulfilled with more environmentally friendly logistics products to transport one of BIL’s key product ranges, but also a safer and more ergonomically designed transport packaging solution.
Read the full case study here.
To find out more about our paper pallets, or any other PALLITE® products, you can check out our logistics range here or give our team a call and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
