Recycling Technologies in Pallet and Container Production

Recycling turns used materials that would otherwise become waste back into a valuable resource. It is a critical method for saving energy, reducing landfill load, protecting natural resources such as wood, and caring for the environment.

At Doğan Plastik, pallet and container production is not only about manufacturing; we also focus on recovery at the end of the product’s service life. This approach is based on a closed-loop model aligned with cradle to cradle.

Most of our products are sustainable, reusable and 100% recyclable. We aim to manage the product life cycle together — from production to repair and end-of-life recycling.

Why closed-loop production matters

When designed correctly, plastic pallets and containers can circulate in the logistics chain for many years. At the end of their life they can be granulated and become raw material for new products. Waste decreases, virgin material demand falls, and the carbon footprint can be controlled.

Doğan Plastik has worked in plastics recycling since 1982. Our experience in PE, PS, PP and PVC recovery is reflected in the material discipline we use today in pallet, crate and container production.

Recycled PP and HDPE in production

A significant share of our products is made from recycled plastic. Two polymers stand out in pallet and container manufacturing:

• PP (polypropylene): rigidity, dimensional stability and load-bearing performance
• HDPE (high-density polyethylene): impact strength, moisture resistance and low-temperature performance

Depending on the duty, rPP, rHDPE, ECO blends or controlled virgin resins are selected. The aim is to combine the right mechanical performance with the right resource use for every operation.

Recovery at end of service life

When our pallets reach the end of their service life they can be recycled into raw material for new products. By treating production and recycling as one system, we return plastic logistics equipment that has completed its life to the supply chain.

This model:

• Reduces waste volumes
• Lowers consumption of natural resources
• Limits the need for landfill
• Helps reduce CO₂ emissions
• Lets customers recover part of the material value in existing assets

Residual value of plastic packaging

At the end of life, plastic pallets and containers can retain a residual value equal to the difference between market raw-material value and recycling cost. Doğan Plastik aims to manage this loop together with customers on new production orders and to recover products that have completed their life.

The customer then does not only buy a pallet; they become part of sustainable material management across the product life cycle.

Recycling plant and production integration

With our production and recycling facilities we can accept different plastic products for recycling and convert them into new pallets, crates and containers. End-of-life parts are sorted, processed and returned to the logistics chain.

For every product the goal is that the customer has a recycling option at end of life and that material stays in the loop as long as possible.

What it delivers for sustainable logistics

Using recyclable pallets and containers brings both operational and environmental benefits:

• Lower risk of moisture, rot and fumigation compared with wood
• Reusable, repairable product life
• Conversion back into raw material at end of life
• More predictable cost in closed-loop logistics
• Support for corporate sustainability and carbon targets

The Doğan Plastik approach

At Doğan Plastik, production technology is not only moulds and presses. Resin formulation, recycling, product repair and end-of-life recovery are parts of the same system.

Our plastic pallet and plastic crate solutions are developed with this closed-loop mindset. For more on our sustainability practices, see our sustainability page.

With the right product and the right material match, logistics operations can become more durable, more efficient and lower in environmental impact.