CHEP Introduces New Plastic Quarter Pallet in Germany After Dialogue with Industry
CHEP has recently launched a new generation plastic quarter pallet that will be available to more than 1.400 customers in Germany, focusing on marketplace demand for sustainable cost advantage and efficiency improvements, as well as waste reduction.
The product is a result of a collaborative industry process. To assess industry’s thoughts about a new-design quarter pallet, CHEP conducted “Last Mile Solutions” workshops in seven countries in Europe including Spain, Germany, France, UK and CEE with manufacturers, retailers and Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) – representing the full spectrum of the industry. The objective of the workshops was to identify inefficiencies in the “last mile” of the supply chain, where up to 65 percent of supply chain costs are incurred, largely due to both the significant number of varying platforms and the effort required for in-store replenishment.
The resulting P0604B was developed over an 18 month period in the CHEP Innovation Centre in Orlando, Florida, employing both internal and external expertise as well as partnerships with key users. Positive feedback followed a pre-launch trial conducted in Germany with 75 customers and partners including manufacturers, retailers, display makers, co-packers and LSPs.
CHEP’s New Generation Quarter Pallet (P0604B) measures 600x400mm and replaces the existing CHEP quarter pallet (P0604A), which was introduced more than 20 years ago. It includes advanced features that have resulted in improved nestability; superior stability and easier handling. In addition, it attaches more securely and quickly to customers’ corrugated-promotional displays. CHEP anticipates a warm welcome from manufacturers and retailers looking for an innovative, plastic transport platform.
The P0604B is lighter than the current quarter pallet, weighing about 1.9 kg vs. 2.1 kg. Reduced nesting height means the new pallet can be stacked 36 high in a truck vs. 30 for its predecessor, a 20% space-saving which reduces the number of trucks on the road and reduces CO2 emissions.
The CHEP New Generation Quarter Pallet has been intensively and thoroughly validated by independent associations including the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and certified to the GS standard . “The resilience of the new CHEP quarter pallet has been extensively tested in the Packaging laboratory of Fraunhofer IML. Here, the static, dynamic and climatic stability of the new design in direct comparison to the former CHEP quarter pallet could be confirmed. The implementation of more than 30 repetitions per test ensures the results are statistically secured,” commented Dr. Volker Lange, Head of Packaging and Trade Logisitcs at Fraunhofer Institute.
“The New Generation Quarter Pallet reinforces our proven track record as the world’s leading provider of pallet and container pooling solutions. High quality products, innovation, our unique network and excellent customer service are the base of our value proposition,” stated Christophe Campe, Vice President and Country General Manager for CHEP’s Pallets operations in Germany. “We as CHEP, having 20+ years of market experience, continuously strive to improve customer satisfaction through delivery and collection performance as well as aiming to achieve a consistent cost to serve. Germany is a strategically important market, not just to CHEP but to the European-wide supply chain”.
CHEP expects the pallet to be a huge success in Germany, and is excited to extend the solution to other countries in the future, including the Benelux, France, UK, Spain and Poland.
For further information regarding the CHEP’s New Quarter Pallet please visit www.viertelpalette.de or contact Ertan Benzes, who leads the CHEP’s New Quarter Pallet Project: Ertan.Benzes@chep.com.
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