Abstract
Despite the commonly observed trend towards mechanization and automation of operational processes, the potential benefits of wooden pallets as an essential element of the infrastructure of logistic processes are often overlooked in considerations related to sustainable development. Aspects that are mentioned more often include the very idea of the economy itself (circular economy), characteristics of logistics (green), features of the supply chain itself (sustainable) or expectations towards transport (ecological). The authors believe that the idea of total cost of ownership (TCO) in relation to wooden pallets can be a key component of holistic thinking in terms of sustainable development. In a situation where in relation to logistics, reasonable expectations for developing sustainable supply chains are made, paying attention to such a common logistic facility, namely a cargo pallet, which is given so little attention in research, is, in the opinion of the authors, absolutely justified. Therefore, the article presents an original approach to the problem of aggregation of all costs that cargo pallets generate in their operational life cycle, using the total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis methodology. The main goal of the article, however, is to show that the total cost of ownership of a pallet (not only owning it) can become an effective tool used to significantly reduce the costs of logistic activity of enterprises (as well as whole supply chains) and support the idea of sustainable development in practice. Using the primary data from questionnaire research, the focus was on considerations that were of identification character (cognitive and explanatory considerations), which are typical for basic research that aims to explain given phenomena. Thus, the presented cognitive process covers two main areas, namely: the general theory of sustainable development and the specificity of wooden pallets as carriers used in goods trading in terms of their total costs of ownership.
Highlights
In the modern economy, each responsibly implemented economic process, apart from the necessity to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency, requires a synergistic consideration of aspects of sustainable development
At the level of strategic and tactical activities, one undoubtedly can see ample evidence of such a responsible approach, starting from, e.g., implementing systems based on a collection of ISO series of standards, adopting the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), certifying logistic facilities with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Building Research Establishment: Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) [3,4,5]
One example includes the role of logistic carriers, namely reusable flat wooden pallets
Summary
Each responsibly implemented economic process, apart from the necessity to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency, requires a synergistic consideration of aspects of sustainable development. The very understanding of a “cargo pallet” as a logistic object can be considered in accordance with the Polish standard—PN-90/M-78200, which specifies that “a cargo pallet is a device intended for placing loads in it or on it and adapted to mechanized transport as a pallet load unit” [6] This concept does not emphasize the function of the pallet from the point of view of the entire logistic chain, and yet it has a significant impact on the possibility of increasing its effectiveness, e.g., in relation to the scope of transport and storage activities. In logistic processes, a wooden pallet is a logistic carrier that creates added value for goods/loads and at the same time is a part of the process itself
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
