Recycled Wood for Pallet Furniture DIY Projects

Many companies shipping and transporting products around the world will only use wooden pallets for a few trips before disposing them of. The pallet wood can be successfully recycled and used for a variety of DIY projects including pallet furniture.

Many people living in areas where pallet wood is disposed by companies after their deliveries have started recycling the wood to make pallet furniture through DIY projects. The shipping industry disposes of a lot of pallet wood that can be recycled and used to make a lot of things including tables, beds, sofas, armchairs, pavilions and so on. Only creativity will limit ideas of the kind of DIY projects that can possibly be done using recycled wood from pallets. The projects are eco-friendly as they help minimize the amount of wood from used pallets that can easily find its way to land fills. It minimizes some environmental risks given that wooden pallets are often treated with chemicals that can be harmful after disposal.

Pallet furniture can be made for the living room to provide cheaper alternative mainstream furniture solutions. Beautiful pieces of furniture that can be used at the living room can be made using recycled wood from pallets disposed of. The original pallet designs can as well provide the ideas for the designs you need for your living room furniture. After making the furniture according to desired design, a good finish with vanish or the right colour can be made to make elegant pieces in your living room.

People living in areas prone to natural disasters often receive a lot of pallet wood left behind after rescue activities that deliver food and other useful materials. The wood can be recycled to make low cost houses as well as a variety of furniture items that can be useful to the people. Recycling pallet wood is definitely a great way of cleaning up their environment while many benefits can be realized from the DIY projects they are inspired to start. In such environments the projects can definitely help in recovery as many needs arising after disasters will obviously need to be met using inexpensive solutions.

Recycled wood can make beautiful vintage looking furniture for use around the garden areas of house compounds or other locations. You can make unique pallet tables that do not look like ordinary tables to serve your specific needs at home. Pallets through recycling can be added some life into them and used to make furniture items that everyone can find uniquely attractive especially due to their vintage looks.

Use Fire Retardant Pallets To Reduce Fire Hazard

The availability of a variety of plastic and metal pallets now provides more safety and reduces fire hazards when moving goods from one point to another or having them stored at warehouses. Wooden pallets presented high risks of catching fire and destroying goods until fire retardant pallets became available in the market.

Reduction of fire hazards is just one of the many benefits that today pallets made of other materials other than wood can provide to companies making wise decisions. Wood is definitely like fuel in case of a fire disaster striking during transportation or storage. Fire disasters are known to destroy materials or goods worth millions of dollars and it is therefore important to make any decisions that can help in mitigation of such risks. Replacing wooden pallets with metal or plastic pallets that are fire retardant is definitely one such wise decisions for companies to make. Fire retardant pallets are made to meet certain minimum standards known to prevent or at least reduce the extent to which fire can cause damage incase of accidents.

Fire retardant pallets available in the market today come in many designs especially for the 40” x 48” industry standard. You will find most of these pallets in nestable, rackable and stackable designs. These pallets by reducing fire hazards contribute to savings on insurance coverage. Their versatility, low weight and other useful attributes they come with make material or product handling operations more efficient. Investing in the pallets will therefore not only make goods transported or stored at a warehouse safer, but will also end up increasing productivity and profits.  

Materials such as metals or plastics used to make fire retardant pallets are also definitely stronger, durable and last long compared to wood. Companies or individuals that buy them can expect to save more money and undertake their operations with added safety. Plastic pallets are very light and resilient while they are easily molded into designs including features that make handling very easy. They greatly reduce injuries to workers. These and also pallets made of metals are easy to clean and disinfect. They are ideal for applications related to handling of foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals.

Use of fire retardant pallets by companies across the sectors can definitely help a lot in averting losses that can result from fire disasters. Wood pallets present fire hazards and other safety risks that can easily halt processes that move products from manufacturing stage to shipping or transportation and warehousing. 

FDA Approved Pallets For Food Safety

FDA enforces key public health laws and companies must use FDA approved pallets for applications such as food, beverage and also pharmaceutical. It monitors the manufacturing, importation, transportation and storage while each year inspects over 15,000 facilities. 

Companies handling foods, beverages and pharmaceuticals at any stage from manufacturing, transporting or shipping to warehousing, must therefore invest in pallets made of FDA approved material. These are pallets that guarantee more hygiene, strength and durability. They outlast wood pallets by far and therefore offer great value. At the end of the day, the pallets are recycled and thus help in initiatives aimed are reducing carbon footprint. These pallets made of materials like plastics and metals are of more consistent quality and dimensions while come in variety featuring designs that are nestable, rackable and stackable.

Wood pallets are definitely the oldest in the industry but in the recent years concerns have been raised about possible food contamination from bacteria that thrive on wood in certain conditions. It is only FDA approved pallets that make the best investments for companies in relevant industries because compliance to regulations must be met for them to stay in business. These regulations are expected to become stricter going into the future. Companies cannot wait to decide investing in pallets made of FDA approved materials later than now. Use of chemicals for treatment of wooden pallets has particularly been of major concern and therefore changing to plastic or metal pallets that are easier to clean is necessary.  

Food can be safely manufactured, transported and stored in environments where only FDA approved pallets are used. In addition to providing the hygiene benefits and avoiding food contamination, the pallets also offer economic benefits to companies. FDA approved materials are lightweight and reduce cost of operations where the pallets are utilized. Greater efficiency in the operations can significantly increase productivity and profits of the companies.

Compliance to FDA regulations in public health laws by investing in suitable pallets for safe handling of food and related products also improves the company image to the public. The media has informed the public which fears any contamination of food associated with handling processes. Use of plastic pallets or even metal pallets approved by the FDA is an assurance to the public that companies are committed to ensuring food safety. Investing in FDA approved pallets at the earliest opportunity possible is a decision that will not only be meant for compliance to regulations, but will also increase public confidence to the products of the company doing so. It is a decision that greatly reduces risk management as associated with the use of wooden pallets.

Invest In Metal Pallets For Greater Durability

If you need to increase the efficiency of moving materials or finished goods, you should consider investing in metal pallets. Their durability over wood pallets is obviously a factor to consider if you do not want to keep reordering for pallets that do not last.

Material handling operations in manufacturing, transportation and warehousing may demand use of more durable pallets. Metal pallets are definitely strong and are suitable for handling weights many times than what wooden pallets are capable. The quality of pallets made of metal, often aluminum and stainless steel is more consistent. They are the best options where highly hygienic conditions should be observed especially for handling of food. If you need FDA approved pallets, the metal ones especially those made of steel should be a great choice for you. Although wooden pallets have been the most common than pallets made of other materials, regulation in the industry will force companies to replace them with metallic pallets.

Metal pallets due to their durability will better move and store goods safely than wood pallets that are often of inconsistent quality. Reducing damages of product handling right from manufacturing to retail outlets will definitely go a long way in reducing costs. Pallets made of aluminum are significantly light in weight compared to wooden pallets. That is another factor that contributes to lower costs while transporting or shipping. The metal pallets come in variety including rackable pallets, nestable pallets and stackable pallets to mention but just a few. They are versatile and can be used in diverse material or product handling environments across sectors.

Because of the need to utilize technologies like RFID when handling materials or finished goods in warehouses or in transit, metal pallets are becoming a better choice compared to wooden pallets. You cannot easily or safely use the RFID tags with wood pallets because tampering with them can easily occur. Perhaps there would not be any other ideal material for pallets used in industrial applications than metal. They are suitable in most of the environments where heavy duty material handling equipment is required. 

Metal pallets can last for more than 10 years and this translates to huge cost savings for companies that invest in them to replace their wooden pallets that have a very short lifespan. Even after 10 years of using metal pallets, they can still be recycled to make new ones unlike is the case with pallets made of wood. Companies investing in pallets for rental purposes would definitely want to consider their durability. They will invest in pallets made of metal or at least other FDA approved materials like plastic which still by far outperforms wood. Lasting value is definitely a key advantage for metal pallets. 

Plastic Pallets - Reduce Environmental Impact

Pallets are definitely part of the most important material handling equipment that every company moving raw materials or finished goods must use. While they are definitely not as common as wooden pallets, companies are turning to them because they promise more benefits to them while also positively impacting on the environment.

Plastic pallets have longer lifespan compared to those made of wood and at the end of their life cycle can be recycled to make more pallets. This significantly reduces the waste of materials from old pallets that would have ended up in land fills. Eco-friendly pallets are definitely the better choice for businesses that would not want their materials and goods handling operations to be seen as posing risks to the environment. These pallets are stronger than wooden ones and can move more weights to make easier the handling of materials or goods in warehouses and while in transit.

Use of plastic pallets for shipping or transporting goods can significantly contribute to cost savings as they are light in weight compared to those made of wood. Charges are usually based on the weight of goods being moved from one point to another. As for the reduced environmental impact benefit, less fuel will be required by transporters and emissions of greenhouse gases hare reduced. Wooden pallets which are currently the most common have greatly contributed to the problem of deforestation. This threatens severe climatic changes for years to come if the trend does not change. They do not last long and therefore have to be replaced often meaning more trees have to be cut down for wood. Investing more in plastic pallets will definitely be the best option to reverse the trend.

Shopping and storage of food items using wooden pallets has been linked to risks of contamination. The pallets in several lab tests have been found to attract bacteria such as listeria, salmonella and E. coli if exposed to certain conditions where they absorb fluids. This led to recommendation of FDA approved pallets for companies that transport and store foods. Plastic pallets made to the right standards provide the best choice for such companies. In order to ensure food safety for end consumers, it is important for companies to replace wooden pallets with plastic ones. The media has created great awareness to the consumers who fear food contamination, and therefore businesses that will change can expect better image and positive results in sales.

Plastic pallets are quite easy to disinfect and therefore greatly reduce any food contamination risks. The plastic material cannot attract insect infestation unlike wood which can do so. Some types of insects are capable of causing devastation to vegetation and pose a great environmental risk. This can be avoided by use of plastic pallets for shipments.

Use Pallets that Reduce Carbon Footprint

The use of pallets remains at the heart of logistics operations such as transport and warehousing. While wooden pallets are definitely the most common to find in many places, there is a growing concern about their use contributing to environmental risks that can otherwise be avoided. Pallets made of other materials especially metals and plastics are increasingly becoming better options.

Your company can significantly reduce its carbon footprint by replacing wooden pallets with non-wood pallets. Wooden materials used in making pallets have greatly contributed to the problem of deforestation. The pallets made of wood will definitely not last long and soon end up at landfills together with traces of chemicals used for treatments in warehouses. Such pallets cannot be recycled and that also partly explains why there is shortage of pallets required for material handling as well as distribution of finished products to retail outlets. Even the weight associated with wood increases the amount of fuel consumed during transportation thus more emissions of greenhouse gases.

Depending on your material or product handling requirements whether at a warehouse or during transportation, you should choose metal pallets or plastic pallets. These pallets offer by far more benefits in many ways compared to wooden pallets. You get more durable pallets that can handle more weights thus more efficiency in your operations. Pallets made of aluminum or plastic have the advantage of being recycled into new ones while ensuring consistent quality. That significantly reduces waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills. Metal and plastic materials are molded utilizing modern technology into lightweight pallets of any desired size and features that further enhance handling efficiency for the best practices in warehousing, shipping or transport operations.

Wooden pallets are of inferior quality compared to metal or plastic pallets that can increase many times the weight of materials or goods handled. They are also easy to clean and meet high hygienic requirements demanded in some industries especially those dealing with foods and medicines. Stainless steel pallets for instance will be commonly used in hospitals, restaurants and similar environments where hygienic operations are given great priority. Although wooden pallets will still continue to be used for the foreseeable future, without strict use they can increase risks in many ways. Wood in some conditions will facilitate growth of harmful bacteria, while if some chemicals are used for treatment will pose risks to the environment.

With the voice to reduce carbon footprint growing louder and not only for business organizations but individuals as well, it is important to replace your wooden pallets with metal pallets or plastic pallets. This will definitely present significant cost savings over the long-term as you wouldn’t need frequent replacements. International shipment requirements are also increasingly discouraging use of wooden pallets and therefore making informed choices when buying pallets is necessary.