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Top 5 Creative Ways To Recycle Wooden Pallets
Top 5 Creative Ways to Recycle Wooden Pallets
When you think of pallets (new or recycled), you may think boring or not-so-attractive wooden “platforms” that are often found in warehousing or distribution centers… However, there is so much more to these wooden structures – all you need is a little creativity! Here are some fun pallet project ideas that anyone can do.
Headboard:
A headboard made from reclaimed wooden pallets adds true character to any bedroom. These headboards can be as intricate or as casual as you prefer, but the technique is the same. Be sure to sand the headboard before you stain or paint it, so you don’t have any splinters or rough edges near your head when you sleep.
Raised Garden Bed:
Avid gardeners are fans of the raised garden bed. Wooden pallets are perfect for your garden landscape this Spring! You just need to construct large boxes on the ground, add some prepared soil, plant your favorite veggies and voilà! You have yourself a raised garden bed made out of recycled pallets. Not only do you have a green thumb, but you’re also going green!
Deck Storage:
Everyone could use some extra storage outside. Make an easy wooden box for your deck to store away garden tools, pool supplies, or toys.
Art Canvas:
Why spend extra money on canvases when a wooden pallet will do the trick? Pallets can provide a touch of rustic flair to your sophisticated art piece. To use a pallet as a canvas, simply dismantle the pallet and reattach the slats together. Cut it to your preferred size and you’re ready to go!
Dog House:
What dog wouldn’t love a beautiful house made from recycled pallets? This can be a quick one-day project made from pallets and a piece of scrap tin for the roof. You don’t have to be a pro at crafts to be able to create these fun projects!
Using a little ingenuity and a lot of creativity, you can build something fun and beautiful while doing your part to save the planet. Good luck!
Ice Suite Giveaway Winner
Ice Suite Giveaway Winner
Last month, Nazareth Pallet’s Palinator Hero was invited to meLVin’s birthday celebration during the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey game, which featured all the local sport teams and company mascots.
At that event, Nazareth Pallet held a Ticket Giveaway Contest to the upcoming TrollsLIVE extravaganza for March 29th at the PPL Center. The Bigelli family won tickets to Nazareth Pallet’s entire private Ice Suite, including VIP parking, for themselves and friends.
Nazareth Pallet will also host an Iron Pigs game during Star Wars Night at Coca Cola Park on May 28th and will have their famous Palinator mascot to greet families and take pictures with them. At the last ball game, he was even out on the field with Ferrous and FeFe.
As a community-involved, family company, we enjoy bringing 40+ employees and their families to the ball game to show their appreciation and gratitude for their hard work.
Below, we have a fun behind-the-scenes recap video of Palinator at the Phantoms. This event was full of laughs, cheers, and hugs. Happy Birthday, meLVin!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INlxTVUoEaM&t=21s
Nazareth Pallet Meets Technology
Say hello to our IRON GIANT! This robotic pallet dismantler is one of our recent additions to the facility expansion. Produced by Alliance Automation, this piece of equipment can dismantle damaged pallets for recycling - replacing a labor-intensive job, ensuring a safer environment for pallet recyclers and large-volume logistics operations.
This is capable of dismantling pallets from 30 x 30 up to 60 x 60 inches, helping keep production consistent day after day.
Did you know? This robotic system can fully dismantle a wooden pallet within 30 seconds! This allows us to reclaim planks and rebuild damaged pallets more efficiently. This is just the first installment of Alliance Automation to come… At Nazareth Pallet, we are always ahead of the game.
Click our Youtube video below to see the Iron Giant in action!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZulXK-67RPU
Top 5 Reasons to Use Nazareth Pallet Mulch
Top 5 Reasons to Use Nazareth Pallet Mulch
Spring is just around the corner, and March 12th is the day to participate in National Plant a Flower Day! Did you know that mulched gardens are healthier and more drought resistant than un-mulched gardens? Mulches can help reduce water use by as much as 50%, improve the quality of soil, and prevent weeds. So not only will you be spending less time watering, it also helps fight pest problems! Need more persuasion? Below we have our Top 5 Reasons To Use Nazareth Pallet Mulch!
- Improve Your Curb Appeal
Colored mulch can add beauty, depth, and dimension to any landscape. Rather than leaving soil exposed and bare, try adding colored mulch to create a beautiful touch to your landscape and spruce up your yard. Mulching adds vibrant colors and a manicured look to your garden or landscape, thus, adding to its curb appeal. It gives your lawn a finished and refined look by occupying the empty spaces, which also helps in making the maintenance an easier job.
- Our Mulch Can Prevent Weeds
Mulching flower beds will help to control weeds, 2-3″ is suggested depth, recommended by most gardeners/landscapers. The main goal for this depth of mulch is to prevent the sun from reaching the emerging weeds, this depth will control the growth of those that are just beginning and those that are waiting to break out! As a bonus perk, this amount of mulch can also preserve moisture so you do not have to constantly water your plants!
- Mulch Made Locally
What’s better than a product that’s made in the USA? A product made right here in the Lehigh Valley! When you purchase Nazareth Pallet mulch, you are supporting local businesses and helping keep jobs right here in your own community!
- Anti-Fade Material
Our mulch is available in black, brown, red, and uncolored so you can be confident that we have the perfect shade to coordinate with your landscaping color scheme. Best of all, Nazareth Pallet mulch won’t fade! There’s nothing worse than having to re-mulch half way through the season because your mulch has faded and lost its luster. Our superior coloring system ensures that your mulch will hold its beauty. Summer will fade, but our mulch won’t!
- Ultimate “Go Green” Mulch Product
As Pallet Recyclers, protecting the environment comes naturally to us and we are proud of our contribution to preserving wood as a renewable resource. We efficiently utilize our operations to help our community and environment by being Green. Every year we keep approximately 19,000 tons of scrap wood from going to landfill depositories or polluting the air by being burned. Here at Nazareth Pallet, not only are pallets reused repeatedly, we further reduce the waste by grinding pallets that can no longer be repaired, into mulch. Don’t worry, the nails from the pallets are recycled as well!
Want to see how our colored mulch is made?
Click the link below. Happy Mulching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAkRNgZ6Sr4
Pallets ARE Essential!
How Important is the Need for Pallet Companies to Remain Open During the COVID-19 Crisis?
How Essential are They?
Coronavirus has drastically and quickly converted from an epidemic to a pandemic disease. Due to the rapid spread of this virus, the global shipping market has experienced an unprecedented negative impact. Many worldwide and US companies are closed and others are working short weeks, meaning what they ship out every week has all but stopped. As a result, so has the need for pallets, or so one would think.
"Pallets still move the world."
This surely is a time of crisis and if preventive measures are not taken then we have to be ready to face some serious consequences of our own actions. The sanest thing for all businesses to do right now is to honorably adhere to the rules set up by the government.
However, some businesses can never stop functioning, like food, basic essentials providers and, most importantly, all the other industries providing medical equipment, masks, and other PPE equipment that has become so necessary in these times.
Well, here the importance of pallets speaks for itself. Pallets enable these products to be moved in bulk. And bulk means quickly. Public health is of utmost concern and providing necessary equipment to people all over the globe is essential for feeding them and saving lives.
Importance of Pallets During COVID-19:
As per the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): “If you work in the critical infrastructure industry such as healthcare services, pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.”
The federal government including the (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) further evaluated the critical infrastructure in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, and all agreed pallets are key in supporting a quick response to the pandemic.
All of the crucial industries are dependent on the pallets to get the supplies that are needed. Almost 2 billion pallets are used throughout the United States during regular days before the coronavirus took over. The total number of pallets now in circulation is likely higher and the need is more immediate.
The NWPCA made it clear, “The increase in demand for food, essential medicines, sanitizers and other critical items that are shipped on pallets is a clear demonstration of how important the pallet industry is at this time.”
Summary
The global supply chain has been badly disturbed due to COVID-19. and now we are all learning what is like to go without things we thought were necessary but really are not; some even being nothing more than luxuries. We now realize more than ever what is truly important; our families, our livelihood and our futures.
Nazareth Pallet is proud to have stepped up by keeping their operation going throughout this time. We have met the demand of every customer in need and will continue to do so. To accomplish this, we are ever grateful to all of our workers who stepped up and did the job in these trying times.
Its interesting, sometimes it takes a huge change to recognize the value of things we always just took for granted….Pallets
Nazareth Pallet to Sponsor 08/01/19 Iron Pigs Game
Nazareth Pallet is Sponsoring another Exciting Iron Pigs Game on August 1st!
Since everyone had such a great time during our Sponsored Hispanic Heritage Night on June 5th, we decided to do it again!
While we had our Booth set up at the front of the Gate Entrance, we greeted
thousands of Iron Pigs fans as they entered! As families set foot in the stadium,
they all received red Coqui / Nazareth Pallet ball caps! Fans even stopped by
our booth and took pictures with our famous Palinator! They loved it! The Latin
music was terrific as well as the game itself!
During this upcoming Hispanic Heritage night on August 1st, the Iron Pigs players
will trade their standard home uniforms for Hispanic themed jerseys. After the
game, the jerseys will then be auctioned off to fans. Lucky winners will be taken
down to the field to have these jerseys signed by the players themselves! All of
the proceeds will go to Iron Pigs charities.
We will be there too, of course, with free Recyclable bags for all who stop by our
booth! If you’re looking for a great job with bonuses and benefits, we will have
employment applications for you to fill out!
See you there!
Nazareth Pallet Celebrates 35th Anniversary
When George Frack Jr’s. father, started Nazareth Pallet Co., 35 years ago, pallet recycling was a fairly new industry. George Jr. (then only 14) joined the company. He worked alongside his father and, over the years, learned firsthand all the ropes about running a business by doing literally every job there is to do within the company. Everything from repairing pallets to making sales calls to scheduling deliveries to making collections. He said he knew then he wanted to run a company and he quickly knew from the beginning that growing the business would require forward thinking to set them apart from the competition
“Today not only do we recycle and repair pallets we custom build pallets of all sizes and types using all recycled wood, combinations of new and recycled and of course, all new wood.” Frack says. “But we do much, much more.”
Nazareth Pallet operates as a (TPM), Total Pallet Management company. Whether repairing or building standard or odd-sized pallets or providing full, on-site pallet management programs, we deliver on our promise of personal service,” Many companies say they make service a priority but Frack’s unique approach is what really makes Nazareth Pallet Co. an industry leader.
“The difference in our service is really the people. Our people are really passionate about what they do here” Frack says. "We regularly meet in group to discuss new accounts and their needs as well as constantly reviewing the needs of all our existing customers. We provide personal on- site sales service to immediately attend to any issues that may arise, sometimes even before the customer becomes aware."
"Our staff regularly take advantage of attending professional training seminars to further their skills. It's not just a job with them, it’s a career. Even our production crew is involved in 'crew reviews' that enable them to offer suggestions for improvement or how to increase and encourage team participation."
Frack says the amount of personal attention and the manner in which it’s delivered by management is, in part, what keeps our employees here long term. It’s the kind of attention that goes beyond simply providing good benefits. Small details like providing hot chocolate on cold days, or extra breaks, cold water, and ice pops on scorching summer days go a long way. A clean environment and a full-service canteen are at their disposal every day. They’re people, not a number!
“I must add that we offer better than average industry wages. I’m sure that’s also a big part of it too” he laughs.
Nazareth Pallet also creates a positive atmosphere by going beyond the expected during the holidays. “Who else in any business has an Easter egg hunt or a Halloween, Trick or Treat party for the guys?” Frack says. “They get a huge kick out of all these events.”
Employees are also rewarded with an Earned-Time-Off program and other financial incentives beyond their weekly bonuses such as Pallet Bucks, which can be used in vending machines for food, drinks, bus or gas discounts, and even work equipment. We like to say “The buck doesn’t stop here”. The Bucks are awarded to employees who are seen carrying out acts of kindness or thoughtfulness toward another employee.
In addition to perks, employees are also assured their safety and wellness are taken seriously. Nazareth Pallet Co., employs a full-time safety manager, “which is pretty unusual,” in our industry according to Frack. Our manager not only works to insure their on-site safety, they also take interest in their personal health and wellbeing. They offer presentations on diet, nutrition, personal welfare and more. We have an in-house medical program which recognizes and addresses the kinds of muscle ailments expected from this type of work.
Nazareth Pallet Co. knows that attracting a diverse, talented team is what it takes to lift a company to the next level. Raising hiring wages and offering unparalleled perks and benefits does that.
The company also actively seeks out former military personnel and works with various second chance programs by bringing on work release candidates. “That has really worked well for us here” says Frack. We continue to add new employees constantly. We use all of the social media platforms to engage potential accounts as well as potential employees. We are completely transparent in that regard and by doing so receive many unsolicited calls about jobs and requests for quotes. Our employees even use our sites to engage with each other even after hours.
Remember, this is a family owned and run company and we treat our employees as part of our growing family. We are here every day for them. That is extremely important to us as we expand our business, our future, and theirs, is quite bright.
Nazareth Pallet to Sponsor Iron Pigs Hispanic Heritage Night June 5, 2019 !
IronPigs to change identity three games this season to celebrate Hispanic Heritage
The Lehigh Valley Coquis will take the field on three separate occasions this season
(Allentown, Pa) – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will celebrate Hispanic Heritage during three games at Coca-Cola Park this season. The Pigs’ Sunday, April 28, Wednesday, June 5 and Thursday, August 1 contests will be Hispanic Heritage Celebrations presented by La Mega Radio.
During each of those three games, the team will become the “Lehigh Valley Coquis.” The Coqui is a small frog native to Puerto Rico, and a national symbol of pride for Puerto Ricans.
The Coqui is a symbol of Puerto Rican heritage (similar to the bald eagle’s status in the United States). Each night across Puerto Rico, the familiar mating call of Coquis can be heard. The symbol serves to better connect the IronPigs with their local community (approximately 80 percent of Allentown’s Hispanic population and 90 percent of Bethlehem’s is of Puerto Rican descent). A popular refrain from people of Puerto Rican descent is “Soy de aquí como el Coqui” which roughly translates to “I’m from here like the Coqui” or “I’m as Puerto Rican as a Coqui.”
The local community reached out to the IronPigs to voice their support of the “Coquis.” Local artist, Max Meano Torres created the Coqui logo and marks and incorporated both IronPigs elements as well as traditional elements of Puerto Rico including the amapola flower. In addition to the new logo and identity, the Pigs will have new food, music and giveaways available during this season’s three Hispanic Heritage contests.
Tickets and merchandise for the three games are available for purchase at CoquisBeisbol.com. Kids 17 and under on Sunday, April 28 will receive “Coqui Frog Socks” presented by United States Cold Storage. There will be a “Coqui Cap” giveaway for kids 17 and under on Wednesday, June 5 presented by Nazareth Pallet.
The IronPigs will wear “Coquis” caps and jerseys. A jersey auction and cap raffle both take place during the final Hispanic Heritage game (August 1). Tickets for the raffle can only be purchased at the August 1 game.
“Coquis” New Era Caps and “Coquis” style t-shirts are available for purchase at CoquisBeisbol.com and ShopIronPigs.com.
The IronPigs celebration will include Hispanic-themed music, entertainment and food options. Arroz con Gandules and Pernil platters will be available on the concourse, as well as Chicken with Tostones, Pinchos de Cerdo and Pollo, Pastelillos, Empanadillas and other food items.
The IronPigs are one of 72 minor league teams sporting Hispanic Heritage caps and jerseys this season. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one-quarter of the Lehigh Valley's population identifies as Hispanic or Latino. Minor League Baseball’s U.S. Hispanic/Latino fan engagement initiative, “Copa de la Diversión” established an innovative new platform authentically connecting MiLB teams with their diverse communities, embracing the culture and values that resonate most with Hispanics/Latinos nationwide.
Proceeds from the jersey auction and cap raffle will benefit the Fe Foundation, which delivers educational community development programs of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the Lehigh Valley and IronPigs Charities, which provides educational and recreational opportunities for Lehigh Valley youth.
The 2019 IronPigs season is the team’s 12th as the top affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies and 12th at Coca-Cola Park. Follow the IronPigs on Twitter at @IronPigs and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/LHVIronPigs.
The 2019 IronPigs season is presented by Capital BlueCross.
--#OinkOn--
OFFICIAL IRONPIGS PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: March 18, 2019
Contact Info: Michael Ventola, 610-841-1317, mventola@ironpigsbaseball.com
Is It Really Mold?
This article is reprinted with permission from our friends at National Wooden Pallet and Container Association. Originally published in March/April 2018 edition of Pallet Central - Written by Annie Montey
For many companies, discovering black discoloration on your wood packaging products can be troublesome. At first glance it might look like mold fungi, which are a great cause of concern regarding human health, but it might be something else entirely. There are types of fungi that grow on lumber called bluestain but they are not linked to human health concerns. Interestingly, there are also other types of naturally occurring defects in lumber that might look like mold but in fact are not biological. Before you “jump the gun” and ask your supplier to replace all your wood pallets with fresh ones, keep in mind there are many types of naturally occurring, non-biological defects that may look scary, but are not caused by microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, etc). Understanding the difference could save you time, money, and a great deal of worry. The report “Wood Discolourations & Their Preventions, with an Emphasis on Bluestain” discusses the different types of discoloration commonly found on wood products and how to identify them.
Iron Stain
Iron stain is considered the most common type of black stain found on wood products. According to the report, “it is caused by elemental iron reacting with phenolic chemicals in the wood to
form black iron tannates, or common black ink pigment.” In other words, if particles of iron are deposited on wood during railway transport or if steel wire, staples, or nails are in direct contact with wood and the wood becomes wet, the wood might become stained dark with iron. Even saw blades will sometimes cause these streaks.
Brown Stain or Zebra Stain
In western hemlock, a type of discoloration occurs only after the wood is dried in a kiln. Whereas the unaffected areas appear light yellow, affected areas appear dark brown, making for noticeable
differences in surface color variation. Below the surface of susceptible pieces, sometimes the brown stain will appear black after the wood is dried. This is known as zebra stain. Zebra stains happen when iron or manganese darkens the browning and makes it turn black.
Bluestain
Bluestain is the most common type of fungi found in wood products that is commonly confused with mold. Unlike mold fungi, bluestain is not linked to human health issues. Bluestain is not
airborne. Also, because the bluestain fungi do not digest the wood cell wall, they have minimal impact on the wood structural integrity. In other words, although it looks harmful, it will not decay the wood.
Sun Exposure
If your wood product is left outside and exposed to the sun, over time it will darken (like a sun tan) and may make the wood appear dirty or damaged. The impact of sun exposure causes a chemical change in the tannins of the wood that, over time, react to the sun’s exposure. If this happens to your wood packaging product, or other lumber product, it’s said to be “weathered.”
Enzymatic Discolorations
Red alder, oaks, beech, maples, and other hardwood species are commonly susceptible to enzymatic discoloration. This is the reaction of enzymes or polyphenolic compounds in living cells. This produces a grayish or brownish tone in sapwood.
Mineral Discolorations
Typically seen in the forms of dark lines or streaks in oak, green or brown patches in sugar maple, or purple to black areas in yellow poplar; mineral discoloration sometimes develops in standing or fallen trees in mineral rich soils. Preventing discolorations caused from iron stain and weathering are quite manageable. If you store wood products outdoors, keep them covered yet ventilated to prevent weathering. Also, keep your ferrous metals from having direct contact with lumber to prevent black ink stains. Other types of black stains and discolorations, like zebra stains, enzymatic discolorations or mineral discolorations, are naturally occurring and challenging to control.
GMA Pallets
GMA Pallets
Pallets are a product we tend to overlook in our day-to-day lives, and yet over 80% of all materials and equipment is transported, moved and even displayed using wooden pallets. If you are researching and preparing to use pallets for your own project, then it’s important to understand the different types and grades of pallets. Most importantly, you need to be familiar with the industry standard of the pallet world—GMA pallets.
What is a GMA pallet?
GMA stands for the Grocery Manufacturers Association of America and refers to stringer pallets that adhere to the size and quality standards set in the association’s guidelines. GMA pallets are always 48” x 40” with the stringers running the 48” length. All GMA pallets are built using three stringers to support three to five baseboards and five to seven top deck boards. Finally, all GMA pallets are built with a four-way entry and flush mounted boards. While GMA pallets follow the same set of rules, they certainly are not all created equally!
GMA Pallet Grades
GMA pallets come in four distinct grades. Premium Grade A Pallets are the cleanest option and won’t include any block or metal repairs to stringers or have colored or painted stringers. These pallets are entirely or mostly clean of paint or markings. Being of the highest quality, these pallets are most typically used in retail, where they can be seen by consumers as part of store displays. Grade A Pallets are the next grade and are typically used in the food and pharmaceutical industry. They adhere to the same guidelines as all GMA pallets but may have a single metal repair plate per stringer to strengthen splits. Other blemishes such as minor cracks, chips, and some visible paint markings are acceptable. Premium Grade B is still a great pallet option that will provide cost savings without sacrificing quality. These pallets will have only one repair on any one stringer, never more and will have fewer transfer cycles than a Grade B. They are allowed to have paint and other markings on the stringers. Grade B is the lowest grade of GMA pallet and as such are much less expensive than their Grade A counterparts. These pallets are typically used for warehousing and shipping. Chips, partial split boards, repaired stringers and paint markings are all standard on Grade B pallets.
It’s important to understand the different grades of GMA pallets in order to make the best choice for your needs. Regardless of grade, if your pallets are GMA standardized, you’ll have an easier time coordinating shipping with different partners.