How Plastic Pallets Are Recycled?

Plastic is not good for the environment. Everyone is aware of this fact, but still, plastic is in great use. It has a wide use in the pallet industry due to its versatile nature.

Australia is the country that focuses stringently on the waste reduction and sustainability. As per the latest report of Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, there is annual plastic consumption is of 3.5 million tonnes and annual plastic recycling of 393,800 tonnes or 11.5% of consumption.

What Are The Plastic Pallets Made Of?

Two types of plastic are used for pallet construction: high-density polyethene(HDPE) and Polypropylene (PP). The materials are sturdy and constitute the right combination of properties required for the packaging industry. Plastic Pallets are used for carrying heavy loads. During transit, there is heavy wear and tear, and plastic pallets also last for 15 years or more.

Can You Reuse Plastic Pallets?

One of the incredible benefits of plastic pallets is that they can be reused several times. Another one is plastic does not soak chemicals, water or organic materials. You have to clean plastic pallets routinely so they can be reused without contaminating the load.

Cleaning plastic is done with a cleaner, and power washing or automatic pallet washing machines are used to remove heavier grime.

Once a pallet has been completely damaged, it should be sent for recycling.

Steps To Recycle Plastic

• Let’s look into the recycling steps of the plastic pallets.
• Before processing, plastic pallets are cleaned to get rid of contamination. It’s because recycled plastic can be infected with impurities.
• Plastic pallets are converted into flakes before recycling.
• The next stage is the melting and extruding process. 
• The last step is to get granules after passing the extruded plastic through a die and breaking it into the desired shape.

In this way, the plastic pallets are reused and recycled.