Used plastic pallets for pharmaceutical

Why pharma asks different questions

A drug maker or distributor is audited on cleanliness and traceability, so a pallet is judged by its record as well as its look. Pharma buyers want hygienic pallets that can be sanitised, with documents on resin and colour, and polypropylene is sometimes preferred because it tolerates sterilisation. HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets, while PP is more rigid.

A used pallet usually has no record. The honest position is that a used lot can serve warehouse and outbound work where the audit asks for cleanliness and not for traceability of the pallet itself, and a new pallet suits the rest.

A map of the uses

Jobs and leading states

National totals from the market data, with the three states that have the most jobs in each line.

How we handle the request

Say on the request that the use is pharmaceutical or healthcare. The reply describes the lot by cleanliness, makers, repairs and marks, and tells you plainly if no lot fits. We would rather lose the sale than describe a pallet as something it is not.

• Use: choose pharma or healthcare on the form
• Grade: like new
• Marks: tell us if an owner tag is acceptable, since pool pallets are not ours to sell
• Papers: say which ones your audit needs

Audit first, then pallet

Pharmaceutical shippers are audited on cleanliness, so a pallet is judged by its record as much as by its look. Ask for papers on resin and colour from the maker, ask for a like-new lot, and say whether the pallet will go into a controlled area. A new pallet may suit the controlled area, and a used lot may suit outbound and storage work.

Records and traceability

Pharmaceutical shippers value traceability. Ask whether the lot can be described by maker, resin and date range, and whether any record of previous use exists. Where it does not, plan an inspection and cleaning step in your own procedures before the pallets enter a controlled area.

Photographs worth taking

• One wide shot of each stack with a tape or a person for scale.
• The four corners of a sample pallet, close enough to show gouges.
• The underside, including the runners and the bottom of each fork pocket.
• Any plate, label, moulded number or mark, shot square on and in raking light.
• Repairs and cracks, with a coin or a ruler beside them to show size.

Comparing two lots fairly

• Use the same footprint for both, measured in the same units.
• Compare grade by wear, not by the seller's letter.
• Count makers present in each, since fewer makers means a more uniform lot.
• Compare the share of repaired pieces, and where the repairs sit.
• Set freight, timing and handling beside the wear, rather than in place of it.

Words used on this page

Runners

Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.

PP

Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.

HDPE

High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.

Dynamic load

Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.

Fork pocket

Opening in the pallet where the forks go.

What the sources say

• Static capacity is the highest of the three ratings; racking is often the lowest; dynamic is always lower than static. nelsoncompany.com
• A used Nelson 48 x 40 x 6.3 in HDPE one-piece pallet weighs 49 lb with 30,000 lb static, 5,000 lb dynamic and 2,200 lb racking ratings. nelsoncompany.com
• Plastic pallets are often described as lasting 100 trips or more, and can cost roughly 10 times as much as hardwood pallets. en.wikipedia.org
• That Nelson model is under 5 in tall, which the page says suits air freight, and works with automation and most roller conveyors. nelsoncompany.com

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