Technical buying guide

Plastic vs Wood Pallets for Export: ISPM-15, Cost & Reuse

Plastic and wood pallets should be compared by destination rules, load, hygiene, repair, reuse, traceability, weight and end-of-life route. The best option depends on the complete shipment system.

What to confirm in the RFQ

  • Destination and commodity requirements
  • Load and rack condition
  • One-way or returnable flow
  • Cleaning, repair and inspection
  • Weight, traceability and disposal

A defensible selection method

  1. 1Confirm the destination's current packaging rules.
  2. 2Compare equivalent load-rated designs.
  3. 3Model trip count and return logistics.
  4. 4Document acceptance criteria before shipment.

Claims and data guardrails

  • Regulatory treatment rules and customer hygiene rules are separate.
  • Material alone does not prove cleanliness or compliance.
  • Treat supplier-provided values as source references until the quoted configuration is confirmed.
  • Do not extend a certificate, test report or marking beyond its named holder, model and stated scope.
  • Confirm MOQ, packing, destination requirements and inspection points in the quotation.

Frequently asked

What should I consider first?+

Plastic and wood pallets should be compared by destination rules, load, hygiene, repair, reuse, traceability, weight and end-of-life route. The best option depends on the complete shipment system.

What information should the buyer confirm?+

Destination and commodity requirements; Load and rack condition; One-way or returnable flow; Cleaning, repair and inspection; Weight, traceability and disposal.

How should loading or packing quantities be used?+

Use an applicable supplier load reference or a model based on the actual packed, nested, folded, cartoned or palletised configuration. A rough volume estimate is planning guidance only, not an authoritative loading count.

Turn the checklist into a product brief

Send the use case, dimensions, quantity and destination. Configuration, documents, MOQ and packing are confirmed in the quotation.