In 2015, one of AIC’s main manufacturers, Craemer Plastic Pallets, supplied the French supermarket chain Intermarché with its standard plastic returnable pallet, the D1 ECO. With over 1800 outlets in France, Intermarché is the country’s largest supermarket chain.

Plastic Pallet performance

Intermarché chose the Craemer pallet because it performed best during testing. The Intermarché logistics team tested pallets from six different manufacturers across four platforms over almost two years. They measured the loss rate, return rate, and damage rate, with the latter being the most important. The D1 pallet was solid in tests, with a damage rate of only 1 per 1000, often due to handling errors. Because of the one-piece injection moulding process, the pallets are stronger than assembled pallets.

Intermarché acquired 60,000 plastic half-pallets and 200,000 plastic euro-pallets. The pallets are lightweight but robust and can withstand significant temperature variations. The D1 ECO pallets were reinforced with three steel bars, allowing them to bear up to 5000kg of static load, 1250kg of dynamic load and 1000kg on racks. We also added 14 non-slip plugs to improve load safety.

These pallets are reserved for downstream logistics and move on a closed circuit between distribution platforms and the company’s retail outlets, with guaranteed follow-up and traceability. Every pallet has two barcodes, as pallet flow must be managed to ensure they return to the base. Stores register the pallets, and they return to the circuit, completing about 1 rotation per week and 50 rotations per year, aligning with Intermarché’s objective of a 2.5-year return on investment. “The unit cost of the plastic pallet is certainly higher than that of a wooden pallet, but it demonstrates its profitability through its lifecycle.”

Reduction of Repetitive Stress Injury and occupational accidents

Intermarché chose to replace wood with plastic to provide a safer, lighter, and more practical medium for staff who handle pallets. Wooden pallets weigh 22kg or 23kg, significantly heavier than plastic pallets, which weigh only 14kg. Their smooth surface allows employees to handle them with bare hands, reducing the risk of splinters or eye injuries.

This change also succeeded because employees believed in its benefits. Plastic pallets offer several advantages: they resist humidity and withstand falls and forklift impacts better than wood. Their low tare weight and dimensional stability make them an ideal load-support medium for use with handling equipment.

Plastic pallets have a long lifespan and are more durable than wooden or cardboard pallets. At the end of the life cycle, the pallet is 100% recyclable. Implementing the pallet pool also makes the entire supply chain more environmentally friendly. This solution was implemented in 2015. With 50 rotations a year and a damage rate of 1 per 1000, Intermarché’s objectives were met. The plastic pallet has proven to be more economical, safer, more practical, and more environmentally friendly than the wooden pallet.

Shop Plastic Pallets

Contact AIC Plastics today to learn how to replace your wooden pallets with plastic!

Call + 353 (0)23 8847333 or email sales@aicplastics.com to get space-saving tripboxes for your business