Two tone for tracing

Losing pallets in the supply chain can be costly for businesses.To help address this Goplasticpallets.com has released two-colour pallets, as md Jim Hardisty explains

Pallets play a key part in most manufacturing and distribution networks and are used globally throughout the supply chain to transport and store goods.With approximately 45 million pallets in circulation in the UK, it is inevitable that some pallets get lost in transit. This can be costly for businesses if they do not manage their pallets effectively.

Furthermore, with the cost of timber pallets increasing by over 10% in the last year and continuing to rise at an accelerated rate, there has never been a better time for businesses to seek more cost-effective solutions. A good way to start is with returnable transit packaging systems that are more easily traceable.

One example of a company already reaping the benefits of investing in innovative packaging solutions is The Scotsman Publications Limited (TSPL), which recently ordered 330 twocolour medium weight pallets from Goplasticpallets.com.

TSPL incorporates The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, Edinburgh Evening News and The Herald & Post newspapers and is a subsidiary company of Johnston Press, which is among the top three largest newspaper publishers in the UK.

TSPL national distribution manager Derick Cochrane says: "We first started using plastic pallets in 2008 to transport our live daily newspapers from the print plant to the wholesalers.

Prior to this, the company was using wooden pallets. The decision to switch was mainly for health & safety reasons, however there were a number of contributing factors.

"Nails, splinters and other handling issues in the despatch area were our prime concern as it's our policy to maintain the optimum safety of our operatives and prevent injury in the workplace.With plastic pallets, there is no risk of sharp edges or the possibility of loose component parts breaking free under manual lifting conditions, so this presented an enormous benefit.

As wooden pallets are susceptible to wear and tear over time, the extended life-span offered by plastic pallets was also a key factor.

"Another major advantage of plastic pallets is their lightweight construction and durability, regardless of operating conditions. As plastic pallets do not absorb moisture, unlike timber, they can be easily cleaned and are completely weather-resistant.

"Initially we ordered black medium weight pallets, but as black pallets seem to be the standard in the publishing industry, it was becoming increasingly difficult to identify our pallets in transportation and storage; that's when we approached Goplasticpallets.com.

"To make our pallets stand out from other publishers' pallets in Scotland, Goplasticpallets.com recommended an entirely new concept - two-colour plastic pallets.We were offered the choice of a variety of different colours, but we chose to combine a black base with a blue top deck to fit in with the TSPL colour scheme." To further assist TSPL in identifying its pallets, Goplasticpallets.com screen-printed the pallets 'Property of TSPL'. Screen-printing and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are two techniques used by Goplasticpallets.com to enhance pallet traceability and security.

Since two-colour pallets are easy to identify, they are much less likely to get lost in the supply chain, and at a time when businesses are counting the pennies as well as the pounds, this cost-cutting solution from Goplasticpallets.com can help businesses manage their pallets much more effectively.

Cochrane adds: "We're really pleased with our new two-colour pallets. They're so distinctive that we can clearly identify them at the print plant and wholesalers. Since we've started using them we haven't lost one pallet." The two-colour pallet uses a two-part mould, offering businesses the opportunity to colour pallets according to corporate identity. Customers can choose a combination from a variety of different colours, including black, white, grey, beige, green, red and blue, for orders in excess of 500 pallets.