3 Ways to Keep your Plastic Pallets out of Landfills

Most states prohibit plastic pallets in landfills. What are you going to do with yours?

Plastic pallets have become very popular over the past ten years. They are being used in just about every industry including Pharmaceutical, Medical, Electronic, Chemical, Rubber, Food and Food Additives just to name a few.

Stacks of used plastic pallets like these are ready for to be used again.

Rules and regulations affiliated with ISPM-15 guidelines, plus the growing number of “clean” or “paperless” production facilities have made plastic a smart choice. In fact, the industrial packaging industry has seen the “one-way” or “export” pallet market grow exponentially from year to year making plastic one of the fastest growing sectors in the pallet industry.

With plastic pallet prices as low as $9-$10, who can blame companies for choosing to use a clean, lightweight, nestable alternative to the traditional wood pallet?

So now that all these plastic pallets are coming into your plant, how can you get rid of them?

If you are like most companies, your pallets are stacked in corners or stored in empty trailers until someone figures out how to get rid of them. Unlike wood pallets, you cannot burn them or grind them into mulch. Getting rid of them starts to become a big challenge. What do you do?

Here are my top 3 ways to get rid of used plastic pallets:

1. Search high and low for ways to use them internally.  Can you ship finished product out on them? Can another department or facility use them as a “captive” pallet?  In both these cases, you are extending the life of these pallets without sacrificing the environment or your bottom line.
2. Find a source that can continuously take the used pallets out of your way.  Companies like The Nelson Company specialize in finding qualified end users for used plastic pallets. They are willing to pay you for used plastic pallets that may have an extended life cycle.  One company gets a trip or two out of a plastic pallet and then The Nelson Company helps another company use it again and again.  It’s a WIN-WIN for all involved.
3. If your quantities are varied or your used plastic pallets are not functional due to damage, there are plenty of local plastic scrap companies that are willing to pay you for your scrap plastic. 

Getting rid of your used plastic pallets does not have to be a daunting task. On the contrary, you can help your bottom line by reusing them in-house, reselling them as used pallets, or selling them for plastic scrap.

Not sure what to do with those unsightly stacks of plastic pallets?  Call us at the Nelson Company and let us give you some ideas.

Post by Mike Cunneen, Director of Sales & Marketing

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