Pallets and bags

Packaging can be an important resource for improving efficiency in the supply chain and advertising products and companies. The main processes of the supply chain, such as storage and transportation, are usually facilitated by reusable transport items (RTIs) (Zhou et al., 2018). A unit load is an assemblage into which a number of individual items are combined, typically on a pallet, to facil itate material handling and storage operations. With logistic and technology development demanding express transportation service and commerce on a global scale, the unit mode is widely implemented in logistics. Integrated pack aging, such as pallets, container cages, and bags, is employed for a cheap, effi cient, and convenient unitized logistics mode (Zhou et al., 2018). Packaging can be thought of as composed of three parts: the primary pack age, in contact with the product; the secondary package, usually a shipping con tainer, case or bags to group packages; and the tertiary package, such as a pallet, which has the function of a load unifier for transportation, storage, and distri bution (Twede et al., 2007). Considering handling and transport, the pallet is the most used type of packaging worldwide. Rarely, it could be found that a logistic service is provided by the company without considering pallets. Despite the fundamental role of pallets, they are one of the most neglected constituents within handling transactions (Clarke, 2004). Generally, packaging is widely studied and designed, but only a brief description of pallets is given, although they can be considered the joint component between packed goods and transport in order to be efficient for handling management and cost reduction (Clarke, 2004). A suitable definition of a pallet is: “Pallet is a portable, rigid platform used as a base for assembling, storing, stacking, handling, and transporting goods” (Bouffier et al., 1996). As a standardized platform for unit loads, pallets are widely utilized in manufacturing facilities, warehouses and distribution centers, and stores. Many pallets are designed to be repairable and reusable, so they can be reused for several shipping cycles. Pallets in circulation can be considered as trade indicators of global eco nomic trends. If the economy is strong, the demand for goods increases, which translates to a larger demand for pallets (Accorsi et al., 2019). There are roughly 5 billion pallets in use worldwide, and this value is anticipated to increase over the next 5 years (Murray, 2021). Although 95% of the produced pallets are made of wood, the use of nonwooden pallets, such as metal and plastic pallets, is increasing. For the food industry, nonwooden pallets are often used in applica tions where hygiene is a concern (Ibrahim, 2019). Several associations, such as the US Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the Canadian Pallet Council (CPC), and the European Pallet Associa tion (EPAL), provide directives and good practices to use, collect, repair, and return pallets. This chapter summarizes the use of pallets and bags for unit load operations and provides a detailed description of the manufacturing methods, materials, tests, cleaning operations, requirements, and supply chain management considerations for pallets.