Oh No… You Have Pallet Mold! Now what?

Got mold on your wood pallets? First thing is do not panic! 

It's okay to be concerned. No one in the supply-chain ever wants to receive a wood pallet covered in mold. If this is the first time you've encountered mold, consider yourself lucky. Now that you've found mold, however, it's time to get educated and be proactive.

Controlling moisture levels on pallets and lumber is key to preventing active mold growth.

Second, try to identify the root cause and/or source of the mold.

In most cases, moisture is the culprit. Mold spores are everywhere, all of the time. Mold spores need four key ingredients in order to activate and grow:

1. A food source (lumber)
2. Moisture
3. Oxygen
4. The right temperature

Understanding the recipe for mold will help to identify specific problem areas. Learning which ingredients you can control will help to reduce the risk of future mold growth.

Third, contact someone who can help.

An experienced materials handling partner can help develop a plan for:

• Controlling or eliminating the root cause of your mold
• Removing existing mold from wood pallets
• Protecting your pallets against future mold
• Replacing your pallets with ones less likely to harbor mold*

*If you're using pallets made from green hardwood, you're probably already aware that they are intrinsically more susceptible to mold growth. Mold problems can be costly. An analysis of your supply chain by Nelson Company will help determine if green hardwood or an alternative pallet material is best for your packaging environment (and bottom line).

Which of these four key ingredients have caused you to have problems with pallet mold? Let us know by commenting below.

Post by: Rich Reiher, Vice President of Sales