choose the best option between pooling vs. purchasing plastic pallets

Pooling vs. Purchasing Plastic Pallets: What Is the Best Option for Your Company?

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When it comes to returnable packaging materials, companies have to choose between two options: pooling vs. purchasing plastic pallets. Both options have their pros and cons. Let us discuss them in detail.

What Is Pooling and When Is It a Good Idea?

Pooling returnable packaging means renting them from a specialized company.  The pooling company is responsible with all the work related to cleaning, maintaining and sanitizing pallets. The client company has no control over these aspects and cannot always count on getting the exact same pallets it used during a previous shipping operation.

Pooling is a good option for businesses that do not need pallets on a daily basis, but only for specific operations on during a short period of time each year. For example, a small agribusiness that ships only one type of cereal, fruit or vegetable during the annual harvest period may choose pooling plastic pallets.

Reasons to Opt for Purchasing Plastic Pallets

Now, since this is a pooling vs. purchasing plastic pallets debate, let us explain why pallet ownership is a good idea. Here are our reasons:

1. Plastic Pallets Have a Low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

TCO is one of the main reasons why companies consider pooling pallets. However, this used to be an issue when wooden pallets were the only option on the market. These were notoriously unreliable and prone to cracking and splintering. Thus, they required frequent repairs and very thorough cleaning.

By contrast, both closed deck plastic pallets and open deck plastic pallets are extremely durable. They are designed and built to last for years without the need of repairs. They can withstand heavy loads and intensive use cycles. Thus, plastic pallets have a very low TCO.

2. You Can Customize Your Plastic Pallets with Branding and Shipping Details

Companies that choose purchasing plastic pallets often order various customization options, such as:

  • Having their logo and company name hot stamped on the pallet
  • Adding a serial number to help track the pallets
  • Barcodes and QR codes containing shipping and handling instructions.

This is not possible if you work with a pooling company, because they cannot guarantee that you will receive the same pallets every time you order them.

3. Your Company Controls the Cleaning and Sanitizing Process

For companies working in the food and pharma industries, hygiene is of paramount importance. They have special procedures to ensure that every item that enters the cleanroom is properly cleaned and sanitized. This included plastic pallets.

When you buy cleanroom plastic pallets, you have full control over the washing and sanitizing procedure. However, you cannot impose your standards and check that they are strictly followed by a pooling company. And this can pose a major risk for your business, as any contamination can result in severe penalties and loss of reputation.

 4. Plastic Pallets Have a High ROI

All businesses need to cut costs, thus purchasing managers must justify every EURO they spend. One of the most frequently used indicators for the effectiveness of a purchase is the return on investment (ROI).

From this point of view, plastic pallets are top performers. One plastic pallet replaces dozens of wooden pallets. Also, by the time it reaches the end of its lifespan, helps generate revenues for your business that exceed its purchasing cost.

5. Companies Can Purchase Plastic Pallets with Atypical Footprints

Pooling companies maintain stocks of the most frequently used pallet models – standard EURO and ISO footprints. However, some companies may need oversized pallets to ship their products.

This is where plastic packaging producers step in to solve their problem. At Logistic Packaging, we can create atypical plastic pallets, featuring:

  • Specific sizes
  • Reinforced base
  • Specific number of feet or runners
  • With load securing accessories incorporated on the pallet surface.

At Logistic Packaging, you will find a large selection of standard and customized plastic pallets to suit all your packaging applications. Send us an email to get a personalized offer for purchasing plastic pallets!