These new distinguishable blue pallets, supplied by Contraload, are of a food-grade standard and are therefore ideal for meat, food and pharmaceutical companies due to their capability of preventing dirt from building, which can happen on their wooden counterparts. This is thanks to their smooth easy-to-clean surfaces, rounded corners and of course plastic being a non-porous material which promotes hygiene. These returnable pallets do not have to be heat-treated to kill ‘bugs’ like their wooden sister.
Contrary to belief, plastic pallets can be kinder to the environment if they are able to continuously be re-used. Wooden pallets are more susceptible to damage than plastic and are therefore more likely to be sent to landfill (if deemed unusable after a transport run) which is costly for the environment and your business.
Wood as a material can be worn down quicker than plastic from factors such as weather conditions and harsher moments of impact from bumpier commutes. The reusable plastic pallets are safer for manual handling – no splinters or nails – and can last decades without showing any signs of wear and tear. Although these hygiene pallets weigh around 30% less than your standard wood – which lowers shipping costs and makes them easier to manoeuvre – they can handle as much as much as 5,000kg of loading weight. The pallets are also compatible with almost any standard automatic handling system.
The pallets from our new service form a closed recycling loop, helping us all work towards a more circular economy. Once a customer receives their adhesive order on the plastic pallets, they are then taken to one of a number of wash centres in the UK to be cleaned and repaired (if necessary), and then returned back to Beardow Adams ready for the next order. Customers can even track the journey of their new reusable pallets.
As a company, Beardow Adams has global reach and therefore pallets can be distributed to countries all over the world. Due to the carefully orchestrated equipment pooling system Contraload have in place for this new service – which means resources are shared and CO2 is saved – pallets are continuously available and ready for use.
This new palletising service has been successfully trialled and is in fact already being utilised by one of our large food production customers in Sweden. There is a cost to switch from wooden pallets to plastic, however customers will likely end up saving in the long run and can receive a discount for using more pallets.
The full pooling service consists of the following elements:
• Delivery of the agreed quantity at the agreed locations
• Rent of the quality asset for the time you use it
• Collection of the agreed quantity at the agreed locations
• Cleaning and inspection of the asset after every collection
• Replacement/repair of broken parts or assets
• Tracking and tracing the assets pro-actively
• Regular audits to make sure losses can be prevented
Elements can be added or taken out to adapt the service to the needs of our customers.
For more information and to enquire about this new palletising service, please contact your local Beardow Adams representative.