What is the best method for Pallet Cleaning?
Hello,
I work for a company that manufactures paperboard cartons for indirect and direct food contact. We are trying to determine how to clean our pallets before placing product on them; does anyone have any suggestions for how we should go about this? How do you and your company fight this battle?
Two clients wash them down and them bake them (kiln.) It works well.
Two clients wash them down and them bake them (kiln.) It works well.
Wouldn't it be simpler to just put down a cardboard pallet slip?
Wouldn't it be simpler to just put down a cardboard pallet slip?
Not really, clients prefer to put the slips on top of clean pallets, nothing like sending out a filthy pallet with a clean slip sheet on it.
You can buy cheap plastic pallets through a buyback program.
Are you talking finished goods or WIP? If you're talking WIP, slip sheets and discard the bottom blanks. We wash all plastic pallets annually and monitor condition throughout the year. However, if you're talking finished goods, your agreement with your pallet supplier and Vendor Approval program should assure the required condition of your pallets and your in-house storage should maintain that condition (not stored outside at supplier or your facility, no discoloration, unknown substances etc.). It might mean a few cents more per pallet but it will also keep you out of trouble with your customers.
I have audited a company that provided a "buy-back" wood pallet program. The cleaning was almost non-existent and the inspection of used pallets was a few seconds at most. If you do use such a pallet supplier, I would ask about cleaning returned pallets.
I work for a food contact packaging company. We reject any wood pallets that are dirty. New pallets that we get are heat treated to kill pest infestation. We use a corrugated pad on pallets before placing any product on the pallet.
Agree with Hoosiersmoker
'Are you talking finished goods or WIP? If you're talking WIP, slip sheets and discard the bottom blanks. We wash all plastic pallets annually and monitor condition throughout the year. However, if you're talking finished goods, your agreement with your pallet supplier and Vendor Approval program should assure the required condition of your pallets and your in-house storage should maintain that condition (not stored outside at supplier or your facility, no discoloration, unknown substances etc.). It might mean a few cents more per pallet but it will also keep you out of trouble with your customers.'
That's exactly what we do for our direct contact cartonboard food packaging.