Corrugated Pallets vs. Wood Pallets: Which One is Better and What You Need to Know

In an effort to both decrease costs and create more sustainable business models, many companies are looking for opportunities to increase efficiency and save money wherever possible. To that end, if you're the type of organization that relies heavily on wood pallets on a regular basis, there is a very important alternative that you will want to consider: corrugated pallets. 

Corrugated Pallets versus Wood Pallets: Breaking Things Down

One of the major advantages that corrugated pallets bring to the table over their wood-based counterparts can be summed up in a single-yet-essential word: price. Thanks to the unique way that these corrugated pallets are made, they're often significantly cheaper than not only new wood pallets, but also plastic pallets heat-treated pallets and other types of solutions that you may be considering. Depending on how much of a factor that initial capital investment truly is in your decision, this alone may be the deciding factor for many people.

But corrugated pallets don't just bring with them initial cost-savings - that concept extends all across the lifecycle of their relationship with your business. Consider that corrugated pallets aren't just lighter than wood pallets (making them easier to move around at a moment's notice), but that lightweight factor can also play an important role in determining how much you'll pay during shipping as well.

Especially when you're dealing with pay-by-weight shipments, the money you'll save in this area will likely cover most of (if not all of) the cost of the pallets themselves. Note, this also makes corrugated pallets a great option for air freight shipments in particular, especially when you consider a lot corrugated pallets can be created in a way that allows them to be easily stackable to save additional space at the same time.

But don't let the fact that corrugated pallets are lightweight fool you - they're also surprisingly strong given the way that they're constructed. This makes them far easier to handle than their wooden counterparts in a wider range of situations, making them the flexible solution you likely need when you need it the most.

All of this also segues nicely into one of the most important benefits of all: corrugated pallets are environmentally friendly in nature by their very design. Corrugated pallets are totally recyclable, which means that not only do you get to decrease costs and create a more sustainable business for yourself but you also get the added benefit of reducing your company's overall impact on the environment at the exact same time.

Perhaps the only major disadvantage that corrugated pallets have over wood pallets in particular is that they're not necessarily the right fit for certain heavier jobs that you may have. Most corrugated pallets are designed to carry a load of up to 750 kg. While this is more than adequate for a wide range of applications, there will likely be certain situations where something a bit more rugged is in order.

Corrugated pallets also don't hold up as well as wooden pallets over time in outdoor weather, so if something like rain or snow is a major concern for you in the long-term you'll also want to consider this when making your decision.

In the End

Now, it's important to understand that absolutely none of this is to say that wood pallets are suddenly a "bad" choice, or that they're woefully inadequate to meet your needs. They may be the perfect solution depending on the application - as always, there is no "one size fits all" solution to this type of issue and there is only a "one solution that best allows you to accomplish your goals."

Having said all that, it's clear that corrugated pallets bring a number of unique benefits to the table over alternatives in terms of cost savings, a significantly lighter weight and easier storing that make them more than worth considering for your next big task or project.

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