Honeycomb paperboard (paper pallets)
Also called: paper honeycomb, honeycomb board, honeycomb core
Honeycomb paperboard is a panel made of kraft paper formed into hexagonal cells and faced with paper liners on both sides. It is light and stiff in compression, and it is used for paper pallet decks and feet.
In depth: Paper pallet: corrugated and honeycomb pallets explained
Honeycomb paperboard works like an aircraft honeycomb panel: the cell walls stand upright and resist crushing, and the liners carry bending. It is thicker and stiffer for its weight than corrugated fiberboard, and is often used as the deck core or the blocks of a paper pallet.
Typical paper-pallet values
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Load | Typically up to about 750 kg (1,650 lb); some honeycomb designs about 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) |
| Weight | From about 4 kg (9 lb), much lighter than wood |
| Build | Honeycomb deck with honeycomb blocks, tube feet or corrugated runners |
| ISPM 15 | Exempt |
Values are manufacturers' published figures. Ratings for your load and support condition come from the supplier.
Why it matters
Paper pallets suit light-to-medium one-way loads, air freight (weight) and export (no ISPM 15). They are recyclable with other paper packaging. Their main weakness is moisture: humidity and water reduce stiffness sharply. Coatings help but do not make the pallet waterproof, so wet storage, freezers and outdoor use are poor fits.
On a spec sheet
Construction (honeycomb, corrugated or hybrid), honeycomb core thickness and cell size, liner grade, foot type and layout, entry, moisture resistance, and the required load and rack condition, if any.
Related
- GlossaryCorrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)Corrugated fiberboard is a board made of a fluted paper medium glued between flat paper liners. It is used for boxes, and in pallet work for corrugated paper pallets, slip sheets, tier sheets and pallet runners.
- TypesPaper pallet: corrugated and honeycomb pallets explainedA paper pallet is made entirely from paper products: a corrugated or honeycomb paperboard deck on feet of paper tubes, honeycomb blocks or folded board. It is very light (from about 4 kg, 9 lb), recyclable and ISPM 15 exempt. Ratings reach about 750–1,000 kg, and humidity reduces strength.
- TypesPaper pallet: corrugated and honeycomb pallets explainedA paper pallet is made entirely from paper products: a corrugated or honeycomb paperboard deck on feet of paper tubes, honeycomb blocks or folded board. It is very light (from about 4 kg, 9 lb), recyclable and ISPM 15 exempt. Ratings reach about 750–1,000 kg, and humidity reduces strength.
- ComparisonsPlastic vs wood pallets: cost, strength and when to use eachChoose wood when you need the lowest price, a custom size, easy repair or one-way shipping. Choose plastic when pallets run in a closed loop for many trips, when hygiene and washability matter, when you need consistent dimensions for automation, or to avoid ISPM 15 treatment on exports.
- GlossaryWhat is ISPM 15?ISPM 15 is the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standard for wood packaging material in international trade. It requires pallets, crates and dunnage made of solid wood to be debarked, treated by an approved method such as heat treatment (56 °C core for 30 minutes), and marked with the IPPC mark.
More in Materials
- GlossaryBark (on pallet lumber)Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be made from debarked wood, allowing only small remnants: pieces under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm².
- GlossaryCant (pallet lumber)A cant is a log that has been sawn flat on two or four sides. In the pallet industry it usually means the low-grade center of a hardwood log, left after grade lumber is cut from the outside, which is resawn into pallet parts.
- GlossaryComposite block (pallet)A composite block is a pallet block made from wood chips, particles or fibers bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It does not split like solid wood and, as processed wood, is exempt from ISPM 15 on its own.
- GlossaryCut stock (pallet components)Cut stock is lumber already sawn to the finished thickness, width and length of pallet parts, such as 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboards, ready for nailing. It is also called pallet stock or shook.
- GlossaryDouglas-fir (pallet lumber)Douglas-fir is a dense, strong softwood from western North America, also grown in Europe. It is species class 11 (Douglas-fir–larch) in the Uniform Standard and PDS, and class 33 in the European species list.
- GlossaryGalvanizing (steel pallets and fasteners)Galvanizing is coating steel with zinc to protect it from corrosion. Steel pallets are often hot-dip galvanized after fabrication, and galvanized nails, staples and hinges are used where wood pallets or collars see moisture.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 216 words.