There are a lot of pretty good plastic pallets available, but plastic has problems when weights go up, when the user wants to stack very high, when heat is an issue, or when the customer wants anything other than the established "generic" pallet for which molds and dies currently exist. WireMeshPallet.com can offer some helpful alternatives regarding longevity, but I doubt any plastic pallet can come close to the performance that a Wire Mesh Pallet can provide. The cost per trip of Wire Mesh Pallets out performs any other option. For odd, or custom sizes, there is no way plastic can compete because of the high cost of tooling. A significant issue is the fire hazard and toxic gases which might be released when plastic burns. Wire Mesh Pallet will have a clear advantage in any comparison of this sort.
People who use wood and cardboard come to us, because contamination has become an issue, or because the cost of disposal has gone so high that they need some alternative. These issues are on the customers mind to meet the goals of the EPA's 33/50 program that asks for a 50% reduction of land-fill bound waste. Wood pallets and cardboard/wood composites are pretty cheap, and everyone claims to have someone who takes scrapped items off their hands. Refurbishing and re-assembling this type of packaging often requires full time manpower. Again the fire hazard insurance premium becomes a factor.