Wooden Pallets — The Past, The Present and The Future
With a huge range of consumer goods, food and drink around us, it’s easy to take them for granted. But it’s important to remember that if it wasn’t for packaging and transport systems, these things may not be so readily available.
While they rarely get a second thought, wooden pallets play an invaluable role in our economy, thanks to their affordable, sustainable and convenient benefits. Subsequently, they are commonplace in global goods transportation. Here, we take a closer look at the past, present and future of the wooden pallet as we know it.
The past
Wooden pallets first came about from single deck loading platforms called skids. These low-profile mobile platforms rested on pedestals attached to a deck. Skids then evolved by having a board added to the bottom, which heralded the arrival of the double-faced pallet. This offered better ease of use, improved weight distribution and enhanced product protection.
As the distribution between allied countries increased during World War Two, the use of pallets increased. As a result, they became well used around the world.
In 2002, an International Standard for a Phytosanitary Measure, Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade (ISPM15), was adopted by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (now called the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures). Many of the UK’s worldwide trading partners have implemented regulations for wood packaging material such as pallets based on ISPM15.
To help UK manufacturers and exporters comply with ISPM15, the Forestry Commission in Great Britain and the Forest Service in Northern Ireland, established a wood packaging material marking programme (UKWPMMP) that regulates the manufacture, repair and manufacturing of ISPM15. It is administered by the Timber Packaging and Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) and was given statutory status on 6 November 2006.
The present
Get Nicklin Packaging’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Manufacturers are currently seeing a huge demand for the number of wooden pallets for three key reasons.
1. Cost effectiveness
Businesses are often looking for ways to keep running costs at a minimum. Recycled wooden pallets can be a cost-effective option that are just as effective as new ones.
2. Sustainability
In a world where the environment is high on the public agenda, organisations are becomingly increasingly keen to be green. By using recycled wooden pallets, a business can contribute to protecting the environment, reducing deforestation, creating a cleaner environment and reducing soil erosion.
3. Effectiveness
Wooden pallets are very robust and effective in keeping goods safe and protected. In addition, they reduce the need for extra packaging, which can be costly and difficult to recycle.
The future
As the country starts to recover from the 2008 recession, industries are now shipping more products and requiring more wooden pallets. With this in mind, the wooden pallet industry is set to experience a period of growth over the next few years.
Recycled wooden pallets will continue to be a popular option thanks to their low cost and efficiency. Meanwhile, automated assembly facilities will continue to improve upon speed and quality of manufacture, considering their carbon footprint.
At Nicklin, we were the first manufacturer of timber and transit packaging solutions in Europe to be registered under the UK Wood Material Marking Programme and produce a comprehensive range of ISPM 15 compliant timber pallets, timber cases and timber crates. If you’re in search of wooden pallets, either new or recycled, contact us today and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how cost effective we are.
