If your business regularly ships goods, you should be familiar with the concepts of heat treatment pallets and non-heat-treated pallets. The biggest difference between these 2 types of pallets is that heat-treated pallets are usually required to comply with international export standards and regular pallets are not. So why is it that many businesses are encouraged to use heat-treated pallets over conventional pallets? Continue reading to find out the answer in the following article!
Heat treatment pallets
Here are the pros and cons of choosing heat treatment pallets for your business:
Advantages
Safe and Sterilized
One of the most important benefits of heat treatment is the sterilization of pallets. Wood can become a habitat for insects, termites, larvae, and other destructive pests. Heat treatment and sterilization can kill and eliminate the spread of these organisms from one place to another.
Moisture resistant
Heat treatment pallets are also moisture-resistant. This means that the pallet will provide optimal protection for your goods, despite possible changes in weather conditions. Reducing the moisture content of the wood can also reduce the weight of the pallet, which can save you on shipping costs.
International shipping
When shipping overseas, heat treatment is an important requirement to prevent the spread of invasive species from one area to another. Almost all wooden pallets exported to foreign countries require ISPM-15 certifications.
Environmental friendliness
When it comes to environmental friendliness, using wooden pallets to transport products is a positive approach. Purchasing heat treatment pallets is another way to bring environmental awareness to your business, by preventing the spread of pests and diseases from one area to another area.
Defect
Higher price
The biggest disadvantage of heat treatment is the higher cost compared to conventional wooden pallets. Handling costs can be a bit high, but in the long run, they save you on shipping costs due to lighter loads.
Pallets without heat treatment
There are also pros and cons to non-heat-treated pallets and it’s important to weigh these options when making decisions for your business.
Advantages
Many choices
If you choose unheated pallets, you will have more options for your transportation needs. There will be more sourcing opportunities because not all businesses have the process of handling pallet fumigation.
Cheaper cost
Heat treatment is an additional cost, and if you don’t have the need to ship internationally, it may not be necessary.
Easier to transport
The heat treatment needs to be repeated with each batch. Pallets that are not heat treated do not need to go through this process, making the shipping process simpler and faster.
Defect
International shipping is not possible
Pallets that do not have the ISPM-15 standard sterilization treatment will not be able to ship to overseas markets.
The potential spread of the pest
If pallets are not heat treated, there is a possibility that they are spreading a variety of pests and termites. This can be harmful to the area you ship to or even to your own warehouse and products.
See more about export wooden pallet standards here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qEvTrFoLfQ
