The Forgotten Shipping Pallet Stages a Pandemic-Era Rally
Bloomberg 5 hrs ago
(Bloomberg)
After carrying the weight of the global economy since World War II with little fanfare, the lowly shipping pallet is finally commanding some respect.
Demand for the platforms used to haul nearly every consumer good or industrial ingredient is soaring amid a surge in e-commerce, forcing retailers and manufacturers to expand warehouses or pile inventories higher. At the same time, two keys to production cheap lumber and labor are scarce, and even nail costs are rising.
The result: Pallet prices have hit record highs, according to a U.S. Labor Department index, and European gauges show big jumps from the U.K. to Germany. The market may stay hot through the peak construction season in the springtime and as Covid-19 vaccines help revive restaurants and event venues adding to inflationary pressures rippling across supply chains.
The forgotten shipping pallet stages a pandemic-era rally
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The forgotten shipping pallet is staging a pandemic-era rally
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Comments According to the NWPCA, U.S. wooden pallets are the first product ever to be awarded an EPD in the distribution package space.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The environmental attributes of U.S. wooden pallets are embodied in a new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), according to the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPRCA).
The EPD was produced by the NWPCA with funding from the Pallet Foundation in conjunction with the Forest Products Lab, the research arm of the U.S. Forest Service. The EPD was also vetted and certified by UL.
According to the NWPCA, U.S. wooden pallets are the first product ever to be awarded an EPD in the distribution package space. The declaration covers the quantitative impact that wooden pallets have on the environment beyond their reusable, recyclable and biodegradable qualities.