One-way and export plastic pallets
One-way, in short
- ISPM 15
- Plastic exempt; no heat-treat mark
- Trade-off
- Lower price, shorter lifespan (Nelson)
- Material example
- Advanced composite: 100 percent recycled polyolefins
- Racking
- Lighter export designs generally not rated
- Common footprint
- 48 x 32 Euro, 1200 x 1000 mm
Plastic pallets are exempt from ISPM 15. USDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among products not subject to its wood packaging regulation, so an export or one-way pallet needs no heat-treat stamp. That is why export buyers choose plastic.
One-way pallets trade lifespan and rating for weight and price. This page shows what that trade looks like and what to check before a pallet leaves and does not return.
What ISPM 15 means for plastic
Wood packaging material entering the US must be treated and certified under ISPM 15. Wood must reach a core temperature of 56 C for at least 30 minutes for heat treatment. Steel, aluminum, plastic and engineered-wood pallets are exempt. So a plastic pallet skips the stamp, the treatment and the inspection risk that comes with it.
Other countries apply their own rules. Check the destination country's import rule for pallets before you ship, because ISPM 15 is the standard and each country enforces it its own way. The ISPM 15 guide covers the sources.
What a one-way pallet gives up
| Trade | One-way design | Reusable design |
|---|---|---|
| Price and lifespan | Lower price, shorter life | Higher price, often 100 trips or more |
| Material | Can be 100 percent recycled polyolefins | Often HDPE or polypropylene, virgin or blended |
| Rating | Lighter; generally not rated for racking | Defined static, dynamic and racking load |
| Weight | Light; Cabka lists extra-lightweight and air-freight versions | Heavier |
Cabka says there is no single export size. Common choices are the 48 x 32 Euro footprint, which is the second most popular plastic size worldwide, and 1200 x 1000 mm. Match the footprint to the destination, not to habit.
Checks before a pallet leaves and does not return
- Footprint at the destination: 48 x 32 Euro for much of Europe.
- Weight on a pallet that may be billed by weight.
- Whether the receiving dock expects to keep or dispose of it.
- The rating, even for a light pallet: static load matters when stacked in a container.
- Marks or tags that identify the shipper and are acceptable at the destination.
One-way numbers from the makers
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PHS EXP 100 lightweight nestable | 78 per stack, 2,340 per truckload | PHS |
| Nelson advanced composite | 100 percent recycled polyolefins, cheaper with a shorter life | Nelson Company |
| Cabka export range | Extra-lightweight and air-freight versions | Cabka |
| Plastic against ISPM 15 | Exempt from treatment | USDA APHIS |
A one-way pallet trades rating and life for price and for the count on the trailer. Light designs are what export buyers look at, and the lower rating is the cost of the saving.
Questions that settle a one-way order
- Will the consignee accept a plastic pallet at all?
- Is the lightest design enough for the load, given its lower rating?
- Does the pallet need to be under 5 in tall for air freight?
- Is a European 1200 x 800 mm footprint required?
When one-way plastic makes sense
A one-way pallet is bought for a single trip and not collected. Buyers choose plastic for it when the receiver bans wood for pest or contamination reasons, when the shipment crosses a border that treats wood as a risk, or when weight is the main cost. The pallet should still carry its three ratings, since a one-way trip is where the rating is most likely to be tested.
From request to trailer
- Send the ship-to. A delivery ZIP, a footprint and a quantity, in pallets or in trailers. If you do not know a rating, describe the load.
- We match a model. We pick a maker and model whose published static, dynamic and racking load fit the load, and say so when only one maker fits.
- You get a count. The quote carries the maker's own per-trailer figure where one is published, and says plainly where none is.
- Papers and delivery. For food or pharma we attach the resin and colourant documents. A standing supply repeats the same line on every order.
What a complete request carries
- The footprint, in inches or millimetres, and whether it is fixed by a rack bay or a container.
- How many pallets, or how many 53 ft trailers.
- The ratings the load needs: static for the stack, dynamic for the move, racking only if the pallet sits on beams.
- Food, pharma, chemical, automotive, warehouse or export use, which sets the papers.
- One load now, or a standing supply with the same line on every order.
- Where it goes and when, and anything marked on the pallet: colour, logo, RFID tag.
Terms on this page
- Static load
- Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- HDPE
- High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
- ISPM 15
- The international standard for treating wood packaging against pests. Plastic pallets are outside it.
- PP
- Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
- One-way pallet
- A cheaper pallet shipped with the load and not expected back.
- Dynamic load
- Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.
- 4-way entry
- Forks or a jack can enter from all four sides.
- Stackable
- Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
Questions at the dock
Do plastic pallets need ISPM 15 stamps?
No. Plastic is exempt from ISPM 15, per USDA APHIS and the standard.
What is a disposable plastic pallet?
A one-way design built light and low-cost for trips where the pallet is not expected back.
Keep reading
Last reviewed 2026-11-12.