The current timber crisis has put users of timber pallets in an unenviable situation where they are experiencing monthly price hikes and sometimes supply constraints. Now might be the time to look at alternatives.

For some, timber will always be the number one choice for shipping as it is

• -          Relatively cheap
• -          Easily made in non-standard sizes
• -          Gives an excellent load bearing capacity
• -          Easily recyclable on the other side of the trip

One-trip

Timber has historically been favored for one-trip purposes however, in some instances a plastic pallet will be the better option. If you are shipping on a one trip basis and are not putting the pallet on a racking system then you will get a plastic pallet cheaper than a timber pallet. One example of the nestable pallet is the AIC SF1000L (See LINK), this is a one trip nestable pallet and will hold a 1000kg evenly distributed load and has the added bonus of being exempt from ISPM15 / heat treating requirements. Other sizes and weight capacities are available.

Multi-trip shipping

If your company has a continuous flow between your customers, you are probably reusing your timber pallet already. A heavy-duty plastic pallet is an alternative that will allow for more trips per pallet with a reduction in the cost per trip. Plastic pallets are easily cleaned and at the end of its useful life be ground down and put into a new recycled pallet!

Plastic pallets will not always be the answer but will be for some applications. Contact us in AIC today to discuss your requirements and see what we can do for you.

This is a new and innovative dolly option from Smartflow plastics, the Smart dolly pack is at its core an 800x600 dolly that can adapt to your requirements. It can be used

• as a simple dolly
• as a dolly + boxes (with or without lid on top of the box layers)
• as a sleeve pack solution ( with a sleeve and  a lid) on wheels
• as a also use solution with pallet + sleeve + lid and on top of this to add boxes

The new AIC SF800SSP Tripbox allows you to securely and efficiently move your product through your supply chain. The collapsible and lightweight pallet box comes in a standard dimensions of 1200x800x850mm with the ability to have custom heights manufactured subject to MOQ. The unique closure system allows the sleeve to be secured to the pallet base and the lid to be secured to the sleeve ensuring your product is enclosed securely. When empty the pallet box folds down to allow 9 empty boxes to be returned in a pallet space.

In 2015 one of AIC’s main manufacturer’s Craemer Plastic Pallets supplied Intermarché in France their standard plastic returnable pallet, the D1 ECO. Intermarché is a large supermarket chain with over 1800 outlets in France.