Import and export are the two major pillars of the world’s economy. China, the world’s biggest exporter in the world, exported about $2.6 trillion worth of goods in 2019. There must be a balance between both import and export if an industry is to survive. Here is everything you need to know if you are going to use export plastic pallets for your next cargo:
Introduction to Plastic Pallets
The rules to exporting any product are complex, mainly because all export rules are based around a product’s material. For example, you cannot export certain electronic equipment such as batteries on airplanes because they are potential hazards. In case you want to use plastic pallets to export your goods, the only things you will want to know is whether your client’s country allows these pallets and the cost.
Materials for Plastic Pallets
“Plastic” itself is a very vague term because plastic is a synthetic polymer that is made of monomers of various materials. There are two main types of plastics used in pallets:
- Thermosets – these are plastics that cannot be softened after they have been reheated. They are not an environmental hazard but are not easy to recycle.
- Thermoplastics – Thermoplastics are plastics that are easy to recycle but are less durable.
Thermoplastics are far more common for plastic pallets and imports and are made up of either Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), or Polyethylene (PE), or a combination of these three.
Standard Sizes
There are a few sizes for
| Trading Name | Dimensions in Inches | Dimensions in Millimeters | Region allowed |
| EURO | 31.5×47.24 | 800×1200 | Europe |
| 1200×1000 (EURO 2) | 39.37×47.24 | 1000×1200 | Europe, Asia |
| Australian Standard Pallet (ASP) | 45.9×45.9 | 1165×1165 | Australia |
| Misc. Pallets | 42×42 | 1067×1067 | North America, Europe, Asia |
| Consumer Brands Association (CBA) (formerly GMA) | 48×40 | 1016×1219 | North America |
Rules and regulations for exporting using plastic pallets
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPCC) sets the rules and standards for exporting all pallets. This is because non-native pests and plants are the two factors involved with pallets. There are no official rules on using plastic pallets through IPCC’s rules because plastic lasts longer and has lower health hazards.
Regardless of that, here are a few limitations on plastic pallets that you should know about:
EURO Pallets
You can only export EURO pallets to Europe and some North American countries. They are 800×1200 mm and were standardized in 1968. Though they are the smallest pallets on the list, they will eventually be phased out.
Euro 2 Pallets
These are the type of plastic pallets that have become very popular because they are in use in both Asia, Europe, and North America.
Misc. Pallets
Miscellaneous pallets are a name given to all pallets that do not fall under any other category. One of the most popular misc. pallets are 1067×1067. They are widely in use in North America, Europe, and Asia in certain industries.
Cost
Here is a small breakdown of the cost for plastic pallets’ exported from Australia to the UK and how they are relatively effective:
| Product Weight | Pallet Weight | Total Weight | Cost per Kilo | Total Cost | |
| Plastic Pallet | 300 KG | 8 KG | 308 KG | $5.00 | $1540 |
| Wood Pallet | 300 KG | 30 KG | 330 KG | $5.00 | $1650 |
Similarly, there is a £200 tax per tonne of plastic that is imported to the United Kingdom. There is a 10% duty rate on a wood pallet, which is cheaper, but the overall prices are still very similar.
Advantages of using plastic pallets
Here are a few advantages of using plastic pallets for your projects, whether you are importing or exporting them:
- Durable & last very long.
- Very lightweight and able to bear considerably more weight than previous iterations.
- Cheaper & easier to handle.
- Safer & cleaner to work with, no need for nails or screws.
- Considerably cheaper because you don’t have to buy extra one-time-use equipment like nails or screws.
- More refined material and higher quality.
- Doesn’t absorb moisture and is not toxic by nature.
- Odorless and is very resistant to UV radiation.
Although there is no fumigation required for export, these rules may not apply to certain countries.
Final Thoughts:
We hope that this article has helped you understand more about plastic pallets and how to export them. Another simple advantage plastic pallets have over wooden pallets is the fact that you can make them as light as you want, saving you considerable costs on export. As long as you adhere to the standards’ requirements that we mentioned in the table earlier, you should be able to effectively export your goods using plastic pallets.
