Gaynes Labs has completed testing on the new hybrid wood-corrugated NextPallet™ supporting 2400 lbs. At just 26.5 lbs., the heavyweight version of the NextPallet hauls and racks like much heavier wood pallets (See test results). Start-up NextPallet expects lightweight and standard versions will weigh between 15-19 lbs.
“The basic structure is a wood skeleton, and then recycled corrugated gets wrapped around the wood skeleton,” explains Tod Ginnis, NextPallet president. “It is adhered with an industrial adhesive – a hot melt glue. The structure with the glue is stronger than natural wood.” Once it is loaded with merchandise, the pallet’s integrity is not affected by exposure to moisture or rain, he notes.
Since it is reusable, recyclable, and saves fuel (based on its lighter weight), the company states that NextPallet delivers on sustainability. And it uses 100% recycled corrugated from Pratt Industries. The NextPallet offers upfront savings to air freight and LTL shippers who pay by weight. Others will save by adding more cargo to shipments before reaching weight maximums. The NextPallet also features RFID and custom printing.
And customers won’t have to pay up for this performance, according to Ginnis. He states that the lightweight NextPallet will be priced competitively with wood. “A shipping pallet that light can save a lot of money, as long as we can convince the user that it can handle the load,” he continues. “We want to prove ourselves, and that is what the testing is about. And as the word gets out, we want to get these into the hands of distributors.
Ginnis states he is confident his company can deliver a sturdy, more sustainable solution, but the key was getting the cost down. “Everybody wants to be green, but few will pay for the privilege. We believe shippers will embrace sustainability with the NextPallet because we’re not asking them to compromise on either price or performance.”
NextPallet is a privately held company with patents on the NextPallet. It is seeking distributors worldwide to assemble and sell the NextPallet locally. “We do not intend to manufacture NextPallet ourselves, Ginnis adds. “That is not our expertise. We want to partner with existing local wood pallet companies around the country and around the world.” Its business model is predicated on generating revenue from royalties from the patented technology.
The company is working with a machine builder towards automating the assembly process, although Ginnis states that semi-manual assembly can be very economical. “There is a certain amount of automation we would like to see, but it can be a staged process. NextPallet will be reparable. The corrugated portion can be replaced.
