Wooden and Plastic Pallets: A Review of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Studies

Abstract

Pallets are the tiny cogs in the machine that drive transportation in the global economy. The profusion of pallets in today’s supply chain warrants the investigation and discussion of their respective environmental impacts. This paper reviews the life cycle assessment studies analyzing the environmental impacts of pallets with the intent of providing insights into the methodological choices made, as well as compiling the inventory data from the studies reviewed. The study is a meta-analysis of eleven scientific articles, two conference articles, two peer-reviewed reports, and one thesis. The review was implemented to identify the key methodological choices made in those studies, such as their goals, functional units, system boundaries, inventory data, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) procedures, and results. The 16 studies reviewed cumulatively analyzed 43 pallets. Mostly pooled (n = 22/43), block-type (n = 13/43), and wooden (n = 32/43) pallets with dimensions of 1219 mm × 1016 mm or 48 in. × 40 in. (n = 15/43) were studied. Most of the studies represented pallet markets in the United States (n = 9/16). Load-based (e.g., 1000 kg of products delivered), trip-based (e.g., 1000 trips), and pallet-based (e.g., one pallet) functional units were declared. A trip-based functional unit seems the most appropriate for accounting of the function of the pallets, as its purpose is to carry goods and facilitate the transportation of cargo. A significant amount of primary inventory data on the production and repair of wooden and plastic pallets are available, yet there are significant variations in the data. Data on pallets made of wood–polymer composites was largely missing.

Carbon footprint of an EUR-sized wooden and a plastic pallet

“…The mass of timber required to produce a EUR-size was 17.1±6.9 kg based on the review of articles performed by Deviatkin et al [6]. However, considering that the average weight of a pallet is 20-25 kg, the mass of the pallets from the review study seems to underestimate the mass of timber required.…”

“…A significant body of research has been performed so far assessing the environmental impacts of manufacturing, operating, and disposing of wooden and plastic pallets. The study bases on the results of previously published literature which was reviewed in the study by Deviatkin [6]. All in all, 16 studies assessing the impacts of 43 different pallets were used to retrieve the inventory data.…”

“…The review of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on pallets was performed as a part of the previously performed study by the authors [6]. During the review, data on 43 pallets were retrieved representing various life cycle stages and pallets.…”

Monte Carlo Enhancement via Simulation Decomposition: A “Must-Have” Inclusion for Many Disciplines

“…The variations in the inventory data, which are a compilation of all inputs to the process, create uncertainty in the final estimation. For this example, all values are taken from the literature review estimates provided by Deviatkin et al (2019). The numerical inputs are presented in Table 3, and the computational logic is described below.…”

Feasibility Analysis of Compact-Mobile Biomass Pallet Technology as Renewable Fuel for Small and Medium Industries

“…As already known, biomass can be used as an energy source [1], [2]. The development of bioenergy through wood pellets production is very prospective, considering that potential wood pellets are used as fuel for both industrial and household [3], [4]. Wood pellets have been used as fuel that has been consumed widely on a global scale, the market potential in Indonesia as a tropical country is also increasing.…”