The most pallet material types.

Pallet material types are as diverse as the products pallets carry. Some pallet materials are popular due to their low price point. Others provide high durability and weight capacity for shipping heavy loads. Some, like softwood stringer pallets, work fine for short one-way trips, while others, like plastic and metal platforms, are more durable for continued use. Before choosing among pallet material types, supply chain managers should consider how that choice will impact their bottom line.

The cheapest pallet isn’t always the cheapest option, since inexpensive pallets often contribute to issues like product contamination and damaged or rejected loads, which will likely offset any savings on pallets. Overspending on pallets, on the other hand, wastes resources which might be better used elsewhere. Managers should weigh the pros and cons of each pallet type and consider alternatives to pallet ownership, like pooling, in order to find the most cost-efficient option.

On an average day, around 2 billion pallets are in active use in the U.S. These pallets do everything from transporting produce to the local grocery store to sending urgently needed medicine overseas. To support those diverse needs, pallet manufacturers have begun experimenting with materials other than wood in order to improve pallet durability and reduce transportation costs. Pallet material types generally fall into one of five categories and all have their benefits and disadvantages.

Softwood: Pine is the most common type of wood used in softwood pallets. Typically, this wood is used to create single-use stringer pallets, rather than sturdier block pallets.

Pine pallets are cheap and easy to source. They’re also light, which saves money on transportation costs and makes handling easier.

Nails, screws, and splinters often break free of wood pallets and damage loads or contaminate products. Wood pallets can also become infested with insects like termites and must meet special heat-treatment requirements for export. In addition, softwood is most often used to make flimsy stringer pallets, which some retailers reject on sight. Softwood pallets generally break down quickly and can’t carry as much weight as their hardwood counterparts.

Metal: These pallets are typically made of aluminum, carbon steel, or stainless steel. Metal pallets are extremely durable and long-lasting. They’re not susceptible to insect infestation and are easy to clean, making them a hygienic choice. They are excellent for protecting products as their rigid structure resists damage.

Metal pallets are by far the most expensive pallets available, both at initial purchase and in the long term. As they’re heavy, they will increase transportation costs and wear and tear on machinery and will require more labor in handling.

Aluminum pallets are lighter than steel ones, but will also cost more. Finally, metal pallets can’t be used in certain environments due to the fact that they conduct electricity and can be a safety hazard.

Plastic: High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are popular plastic types for pallets. High-quality plastic pallets are very durable and easy to clean. They can hold as much weight as wood, and, in many cases, much more. They don’t pose a risk of product damage from splinters or pallet hardware. Plastic pallets are about 30 percent lighter than wood block pallets, on average, so they reduce transportation costs and wear and tear on equipment. They’re also consistent in weight and dimensions, making them ideal for an automated environment. It’s more complicated to create a plastic pallet than to build a wood one, so it’s not always easy to source plastic platforms in large quantities. Also, since plastic pallets aren’t made up of individual boards like wood pallets, they’re not as easy to repair if they become cracked or damaged, though plastic pallets can be recycled into “new” ones.