Major Corrugated Plant Opts For Plastic Pallets To Boost Hygiene

DS Smith Featherstone is one of the UK’s major suppliers of distribution cases to the food industry, so hygiene standards have always been a top priority. Now Featherstone has opted to triple its usage of plastic pallets. Demes UK, a DS Smith Plastics company specialising in pallet pool management systems, is supplying a pool of HyrackTM pallets, manufactured by Kaysersberg Plastics.

HyrackTM pallets are designed and manufactured specifically to offer outstanding hygiene and durability. They were selected because the primary reason for the move is the requirement to meet extremely rigorous hygiene standards demanded by food companies. For many, wooden pallets, with their tendency to create dust and chippings, are just not an option any more. Plastic pallets are the ideal replacement. Further evidence of this comes from Europe where, in 2003, it was estimated that there were around 20 million pallets of which 5% were plastic. By 2007 the proportion of plastic pallets is expected to grow to up to 15% of the total market.

Apart from hygiene, another major factor behind the growth of plastic pallets is their cost effectiveness. Jon Graves, General Manager of Demes UK, explains: “We manage the pallet pool in such a way that a highly efficient loop is created which means plastic pallets work out cheaper than wooden pallets hired from major rental companies. A daily hire cost is more flexible and cost-effective so our customers receive a double benefit – higher standards of hygiene and lower costs.”