The Fascinating Life Of A Wood Pallet
The Fascinating Life Of A Wood Pallet
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A pallet is a flat wooden structure used for the movement of goods. When goods are loaded on wood pallets, they are lifted using machines (usually forklifts). Pallets can be made of various materials, but the most common material used in making pallets is wood. Wood pallets are made to carry heavy loads with a load bearing capacity of approximately 2000 pounds. The most common size of pallet is a standard GMA 48x40 wood pallet. However if the pallet is painted blue it is most likely a CHEP PALLET Used wood pallets can be repaired or recycled and not sent to a landfill. But, considering the pros and cons of each option, recycling or reuse seems to be a better choice than sending pallet waste to a landfill. Used wood pallets can be recycled for reuse as mulch, animal bedding, or stove pellets. Due to the large use of wood pallets in most industries, recycling them became a necessity in a bid to curb their disposal in landfills. Recycling of pallets has some benefits which include: reduced cost of pallets and return on money spent buying pallets while being environmental friendly. Pallets recycling also reduce waste.
How To Repair A Wood Pallet Before Recycling It
Wood pallets are built to be strong, but they eventually break down at some points, and when they do, there are a lot of ways to re-use them. If the damage is not fatal, it can be repaired and reused. Pallets that have been damaged beyond repair are shredded after separating the nails and metal clippings on them. Once in a wood processing facility, pallets are separated, broken down and recycled according to their different material type such as wood, plastic or metal. The wood pallets, which happen to be the most common, are taken as scrap wood, chipped off and grinded. The consistency in the wood makeup of pallets is an indication that the grinded pallets can be used to make mulch, pellets, animal bedding and chips for play grounds. Wood parts of pallets can be cleaned and cut into various sizes and used to make furniture such as beds, chairs, tables etc. There are recent developments in recycling wood pallets where chips from these pallets are mixed with recycled concrete and used to make blocks for construction. These blocks are more permeable to air, meaning houses built with such brick would be more ventilated than regular houses.
Advantages of Plastic Pallets Versus Wood Pallets
Lately, manufacturers have been making a switch to plastic pallets. This is because plastic pallets are lighter, easier to clean and do not absorb moisture. Because of these qualities, they tend to stand more of a chance than wood pallets. At their introduction, repair of plastic pellets was a rare thing but over the years companies have come up to meet the need for repairs of plastic pallets. Just like their wooden counterparts, plastic pallets can also be recycled. They are first shredded, and then the plastic byproduct is sold off to plastic recyclers. These byproducts are used to remake other plastic components including plastic bags, plastic cups and even plastic pellets, which are also used in play grounds to reduce the negative effect of fall.
