Could the nail shortage be the final nail in the coffin for wooden pallets?

There is a growing concern in Europe that wooden pallets could soon run out of one of their vital components – nails.

As a result of the trade sanctions against Russia, the German pallet industry is warning of a shortage of Russian steel for nail manufacturing, creating concern that wooden pallet production could come to a standstill in a matter of weeks.

A shortage of nails is the latest problem facing the wooden packaging industry. It adds to the ongoing timber shortage and more recent rumoured price hikes of as much as 35%.

Goplasticpallets.com – The Responsible Plastic Pallet Company warns that this could soon cause severe problems for UK organisations that rely on wooden pallets in their operations.

Jim Hardisty, Managing Director of Goplasticpallets.com, says, “This is a ‘stand-up and take notice’ moment for organisations in the UK who use wooden pallets. The continued pressure on the availability of timber and now reports of a shortage of Russian steel could soon filter across to the UK and cause real issues in the supply chain.”

The German pallet industry reveals that 78 nails are needed to create a Euro pallet, and around 90% of nails required are made from Russian steel. But when you consider there are no nails required to manufacture plastic pallets, these shortages could be alleviated by switching to plastic.

Jim continued, “Of course, businesses can bypass the potential problems on the horizon with wooden pallets by switching to plastic pallets.

“The benefits of switching to plastic pallets are clear. Plastic pallets are much stronger and more reliable than their weaker wooden counterparts. A wooden pallet, on average, lasts for 11 trips, whereas a reusable plastic pallet can last up to ten times longer. In the case of our recycled plastic pallets, we make use of the valuable plastic that already exists to create a valuable product, which in turn makes supply chains efficient, sustainable, and more environmentally conscious.”

Goplasticpallets.com also pledges to recycle all of the plastic products it supplies through its pioneering plastic pallet recycling scheme. The scheme was the first of its kind for the UK plastic pallet industry when it was launched in 2019, and it continues to encourage organisations to recycle unused plastic pallets, boxes and crates responsibly, no matter who supplied them.

Could this latest setback for the wooden pallet industry have a damaging effect on UK businesses? Don’t wait to find out. Get in touch with Goplasticpallets.com to find out how plastic pallets can transform your business.