Cart 0
As Australia’s only producer of hydrous kaolin, Suvo Minerals operates a strategically important facility in Victoria supplying high-quality clay to domestic manufacturers and international markets in China, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, USA, and Europe. Used as a binding agent in products ranging from paint and rubber to paper, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals, hydrous kaolin is a critical industrial mineral with demanding logistics and hygiene requirements – especially for export.
To meet growing global compliance standards and ensure product integrity, Suvo Minerals has shifted to plastic pallets, supplied by Eco Pallets. To gain further insights, Eco Pallets spoke with Waldo van Wyngaardt, the logistics manager at Suvo Minerals.
The decision to use plastic pallets was driven by both regulatory and operational factors. As according tovan Wyngaardt, “Recently, Mexico has imposed stricter regulations for any timber packaging material that comes in, requiring extra fumigation and certificates”.
Switching toplastic pallets has made it easier for Suvo Minerals to meet their export requirements as plastic pallets are exempted from these regulations as they are ISPM-15 compliant.
“Because our products are used in pharmaceutical and cosmetics which are consumed and applied by consumers, we can’t get the pallets treated with chemicals,” van Wyngaardtsaid. “Now, we have packed our products that we are exporting to the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries on plastic pallets for hygiene reasons.”
Eco Pallets’ plastic pallets offer a safe and reliable alternative that aligns withSuvo Minerals’ export obligations and maintaining their product integrity.
“The pallets also do not damage the bulk bags as well because there are no sharp corners on the plastic pallets,” van Wyngaardt added. “So, it decreases the damages on the bags when handling with the pallet.”
With the durability and load-bearing capacity of up to three tonnes, the pallets supplied by Eco Pallets, also contribute tosafer stacking of products. Using Eco Pallets’ export pallets Suvo Minerals can stack their products perfectly inside in a 20’ HC.
“They stack nicely into the container, looks professional arriving to the customer and has little room for movement between product and container, which lowers the risk of product damage,” van Wyngaardt noted.
Although plastic pallets carry a higher upfront cost,van Wyngaardtfound the investment justified byreduced regulatory complexity and long-term efficiency gains. Suvo Minerals’ operational efficiency has improved with the transition to plastic pallets.
“What’s good about plastic pallets is that they can be stored outside without worrying about rain or debris,” van Wyngaardt said. “They also reduce labour needed to restack bags of stock on the pallet”. Eco Pallets have assisted Suvo Minerals in streamlining their inventory handling process and warehouse space utilisation with their plastic pallets.
From a workforce perspective, the transition has been smooth, with no complaints from Suvo Minerals’ dispatch or production team who are dealing with the plastic pallet. The pallets are consistent in quality and performance, despite the occasional minor chip.
“We receive our pallets from Eco Pallets wrapped, which is great because it makes it easier when we offload it from the truck,” van Wyngaardt said.
With the pallets arriving pre-wrapped from Eco Pallets, it has led to smoother handling by van Wyngaardt’s team as they can easily unload the pallets and move them to the designated section in the warehouse.
While the switch to plastic pallets might seem a minor operational detail, for a mining company dealing in industrial minerals that has various applications, it’s a critical step in ensuring reliable and compliant global supply chains. With international markets placing increasing scrutiny on packaging materials and import protocols, solutions like those from Eco Pallets offer mining and processing companies a competitive edge.
Get in touch with Eco Pallets to check availability of our core tray pallets
