CASE STUDY NO. 9709
Courtesy of IIR Homepage @ web.indstate.edu/recycle/9709.hmtl

Summary- "Home Depot has eliminated 1.8 million pallets from its retail operations and reduced costs by $660,000."

Action- "Plastic Slip sheets cost less than pallets: weight much less, saving transportation charges; and are only a fraction the thickness of pallets, thus increasing cube and improving the efficiency of truck loading. On the receiving end, plastic slip-sheets can be reused, typically 8-10 times. Home Depot reuses plastic slip-sheets arriving at its distribution centers to send products to its stores. When the pull tabs rip and a slip-sheet can no longer be used, it is sent to a plastics processor for grinding, melting and remanufacturing."

"Plastic slip sheets work best for merchandise with a heavy uniform case pack---products that "cube out" well. They have been used successfully by the food and beverage industry for more than two decades."

Payback- Home Depot realized an immediate reduction in freight costs and pallet disposal costs with the plastic slip sheet program.

CASE STUDY NO. 8020
Plastic Slip-Sheets are more environmentally friendly than wood pallets & fiber sheets.

Environmental Impact- Plastic slip-sheets cause a great reduction in wood use. They currently save approximately 1,000 tons of wood per year and growing. Wood pallets require much greater management and disposal costs. Conversely, plastic slip-sheets can be recycled. Pallet storage can be such an unsightly and wasteful use of valuable space. Due to slip-sheets relatively small size and weight, they greatly reduce fuel and transportation costs; thus fuel emissions and gas consumption goes down. One truckload of slip-sheets equals about 25 truckloads of wood pallets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed a ban on untreated wood pallets from entering the USA to help prevent the Asian long horned beetle infestation. Similar bans have been put on American manufacturers and retailers on American exports.