palletcentral.com PalletCentral • March-April 2017 39
with a professional tool to
integrate design specifications
according to performance
requirements. Not only are the
structural, durability and
handling characteristics of
pallets provided, but also the
safe load capacity estimates
which are critical for pallet
users, as it ensures safe handling
and protection for workers
using these products. PDS enhances quality assurance because it
incorporates best manufacturing practices recommended by the
America National Standards Institute (ANSI) MH1 Standard for
unit load bases
3
, and aids in promoting compliance with
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No.15
4
.
Recycled Wood Packaging
Wood has durability characteristics that permit extensive reuse.
Wood packaging and wood pallets are engineered to allow for re-
use multiple times and can be recycled between users for similar
unit load applications.
The ease by which wood can be reused and the durability factors
of many wood species provides the opportunity for wood pallets
to be mechanically
disassembled and rebuilt into
new pallets with recycled wood
components.
Recyclers repair and recycle
pallets with "fit-for-use criteria"
that ensures that the wood
pallets meet the performance
requirements of the secondary
users.
Use of wood coupled with
product specification tools ensure that wood packaging is not
only one of the most renewable packaging materials
5
but is
designed to eliminate product damage and ensure safe handling
across the supply chain.
PC
1 "Lumber Properties," Canadian Wood Council,
http://cwc.ca/design-with-wood/lumber-properties/
2 "Pallet Design System™ Reference Documents," National Wooden Pallet &
Container Association www.palletcentral.com/?page=PDSReferenceDocs
3 "Standards," American National Standards Institute (ANSI) MH1-2016
http://www.mhi.org/standards
4 "Regulation of Wood Packaging Material in International Trade," International Plant
Protection Convention https://www.ippc.int/en/publications/640/
5 "Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material," USDA Forest Service Forest
Products Laboratory General Technical Report FPL–GTR–190
https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fpl_gtr190.pdf
Nature's Packaging –
Choose the Sustainable Way
Promoting the use of wood-based
packaging and pallets to users
seeking sustainable and
economical packaging solutions.
NATURESPACKAGING.ORG
Engineered for
Performance
