Paper pallet: corrugated and honeycomb pallets explained
A 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.
- Type
- Paper / honeycomb
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Height
- 5.00 in
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Paper pallets are the lightest structural pallets available. They are made for one trip: export, air freight, or shipments to customers who do not want to deal with wood or plastic waste.
What is a paper pallet?
A paper pallet is a pallet built from paper-based materials only. There are three common constructions:
| Construction | Deck | Feet |
|---|---|---|
| Corrugated | Double or triple-wall corrugated fiberboard | Folded columns, notched corrugated runners, or tubes |
| Honeycomb | Honeycomb paperboard core between liner sheets | Honeycomb blocks or paper tubes |
| Hybrid | Mixed corrugated and honeycomb | Various |
They are usually made to order, often to the footprint of the product, with die-cut features and adhesives.
How is a paper pallet built?
The pallet.design paper template is a 48 × 40 in honeycomb pallet:
| Feature | Template value | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 × 40 in | 1219 × 1016 mm |
| Construction | Honeycomb deck | |
| Board | Triple wall | |
| Deck thickness | 1-1/2 in | 38 mm |
| Feet | 9 blocks | |
| Height | 5 in | 127 mm |
| Moisture resistance | Coated | |
| Design load | 1,200 lb, one-way | 544 kg |
Design choices:
- Board grade. Single, double or triple wall, stated by edge crush test (ECT) or burst strength.
- Honeycomb core. Thickness and cell size set stiffness.
- Feet. Nine blocks or tubes give 4-way entry; three runners give 2-way entry and a better base for stacking on conveyors.
- Coatings. Moisture-resistant or wax coatings slow water uptake but do not make the pallet waterproof.
Where are paper pallets used?
- Export shipments, since paper is ISPM 15 exempt; see export pallets
- Air freight, where every kilogram costs money
- One-way retail and e-commerce shipments
- Paper, packaging and printing industries; see paper and packaging
- Clean or dry-goods environments that ban nails and splinters
Pros and limits
| Pros | Limits |
|---|---|
| Very light | Loses strength when wet or humid |
| ISPM 15 exempt | Lower capacity than wood, plastic or metal |
| Recyclable with other paper | Usually one-way only |
| Made to the product's footprint | Feet can crush under fork impact |
| No nails or splinters | Not for freezers or outdoor storage |
Capacity and weight
Paper pallets typically carry up to about 750 kg (1,650 lb); some honeycomb designs about 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). One maker states 750 kg in open-beam racking. Weight starts from about 4 kg (9 lb) and runs to about 9 kg (20 lb) for heavier designs. Humidity reduces stiffness, and ratings assume dry conditions and a uniformly distributed load. Confirm the rating for your support condition, and test in your own environment if pallets will sit in humid storage or refrigerated trucks. See pallet load capacity.
Paper vs other one-way pallets
| Paper | Presswood | Nestable plastic | HT wood | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISPM 15 | Exempt | Exempt | Exempt | Treat and mark |
| Weight (48 × 40 class) | about 9–20 lb | about 25–35 lb | about 14–30 lb | 30–70 lb |
| Moisture tolerance | Poor | Moderate | Good | Good (if dried) |
| Custom size | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Racking | Some models | No | No | Yes, by design |
| End of life | Paper recycling | Grind or recycle | Regrind | Recycle, mulch |
Weights are indicative ranges from supplier data. See presswood pallet and nestable plastic pallet.
ISPM 15
Exempt. ISPM 15 applies to solid wood only.
What drives the cost?
- Board grade and honeycomb thickness
- Feet type and count
- Coatings for moisture resistance
- Custom sizes and die-cuts
- Quantity
As an indicative range from supplier data, paper pallets cost about $8–15 each. Price rises with size, board grade and coatings.
Specifying a paper pallet for a quote
- Footprint (can match the product) and height
- Construction: corrugated, honeycomb or hybrid
- Board grade (single, double, triple wall; ECT or burst) and core thickness
- Feet: 9 blocks, 9 tubes, 3 runners, notched runners; entry
- Load weight and distribution, stacking, racking
- Environment: humidity, refrigeration, outdoor exposure
- Moisture-resistant coating
- One-way or multi-trip
- Quantity and delivery location
Related: export pallets, presswood pallet, slip sheet. The paper template records these fields; open it in the designer.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
Honeycomb paper 48×40 template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Paper / honeycomb
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Overall height
- 5.00 in
- Classification
- 48.00 x 40.00 x 5.00, Paper/Honeycomb, Triple-Wall, 4-Way, Single-Use
Construction
- Construction
- Honeycomb, triple-wall
- Deck
- 1.50 in (1-1/2)
- Feet
- Blocks9
- Height
- 5.00 in (5)
- Moisture
- Coated
Requirements
- Load
- 1,200 lb, uniform
- Handling
- forklift, pallet jack
- Racking
- Not racked
- Floor stack
- 1 high
- Use
- One-way / single-use
- Environment
- Standard
- ISPM-15
- Domestic only
- Certified rating
- Not required
- Food contact / fire
- No / no listing
Order
- Quantity
- Not specified
- Ship to
- —
- Needed by
- —
Frequently asked questions
How much weight can a paper pallet hold?
Typical ratings run up to about 750 kg (1,650 lb), and some honeycomb designs about 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). One maker states 750 kg in open-beam racking. Ratings drop in humid conditions.
How much does a paper pallet weigh?
From about 4 kg (9 lb) for a lightweight corrugated pallet to about 9 kg (20 lb) for heavier honeycomb designs. One maker says its pallets are about 83% lighter than wood.
Are paper pallets waterproof?
No. Moisture-resistant coatings slow water absorption, but a paper pallet left in rain or on a wet floor will lose strength. Keep them dry.
Do paper pallets need ISPM 15 treatment?
No. ISPM 15 covers solid wood only, so paper and corrugated pallets are exempt.
Can paper pallets be recycled?
Yes, usually with other corrugated and paper waste, which is one of their main advantages over wood and plastic for one-way shipments.
Related
- TypesExport pallets: ISPM 15, container sizes and material choicesAn export pallet must meet ISPM 15 (heat-treated and marked wood, or an exempt material such as plastic, presswood, paper or metal), fit the container and the consignee's equipment, and usually be cheap enough to lose. Common choices are HT wood, 45 × 45 in or 1200 × 1000 mm footprints, and nestable plastic.
- GlossaryHoneycomb paperboard (paper pallets)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.
- 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.
- TypesPresswood pallet: molded wood-fibre, nestable and ISPM 15 exemptA presswood pallet is a one-piece pallet molded from wood fibre and resin under heat and pressure. It has no nails, nests about 2.5:1 to 4:1, weighs roughly 25–35 lb (11–16 kg) in 48 × 40 class sizes and is ISPM 15 exempt as processed wood. It comes in fixed sizes and is not rackable.
- TypesSlip sheet: the thin pallet alternative, sizes, tabs and materialsA slip sheet is a thin sheet of solid fiberboard, corrugated board or plastic used under a unit load instead of a pallet. A push-pull lift truck attachment grips its tab and pulls the load onto its platens. Sheets for a 40 × 48 in load are commonly 43 × 51 or 44 × 52 in with 3–4 in tabs.
- IndustriesPallets for paper, corrugated and packaging productsPaper and packaging need flat, dry pallets with high deck coverage, because sheets and blanks take the shape of the deck and absorb moisture. Box and print plants often buy custom sizes per product. Rolls ship on end or in cradles for clamp trucks, and some light loads ship on slip sheets.
- StandardsISPM 15: the wood packaging standard for international shippingISPM 15 is the IPPC standard requiring solid-wood packaging, including pallets and dunnage, to be debarked, treated (HT, DH, MB or SF) and marked before crossing a border. Plywood, OSB, presswood, wood 6 mm thick or less, and plastic, metal and paper pallets are exempt.
More in Other materials
- TypesMetal pallets: steel, stainless and aluminum comparedMetal pallets are fabricated from carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum, usually welded. They carry heavy or hot loads, last for years in returnable loops, do not burn and are exempt from ISPM 15. Carbon steel is the strongest and cheapest metal, stainless and aluminum resist corrosion, and aluminum is the lightest.
- TypesSteel pallet: welded, galvanized and built for heavy loopsA steel pallet is fabricated from carbon or stainless steel sheet, channel and tube, usually welded and hot-dip galvanized or powder coated. It carries heavy loads, lasts for years outdoors and in hot processes, does not burn and is ISPM 15 exempt. Steel pallets weigh roughly 50–150 lb (23–68 kg).
- TypesAluminum pallet: light metal for food, pharma and cleanroomsAn aluminum pallet is a welded metal pallet, usually seal-welded so it can be washed and sanitised. It is lighter than steel, does not rust, is ISPM 15 exempt, and is used in food processing, pharmaceutical cleanrooms and hot or wet processes. It is among the most expensive pallet types.
- TypesPallet collar: hinged wooden frames that turn a pallet into a boxA pallet collar is a frame of four boards joined by metal hinges that sits on a pallet to form an open box. Collars stack to build height and fold flat when empty. The common European collar fits a 1200 × 800 mm pallet, is 200 mm (7.9 in) tall and has 4 or 6 galvanized hinges.
- TypesPallet box: bulk bins, gaylords and box pallets explainedA pallet box is a bulk container with a pallet-sized base that forklifts and pallet jacks can handle: a wooden bin, a corrugated gaylord on a pallet, a collapsible plastic bulk container or a steel box pallet. The EPAL box pallet has a 1200 × 800 mm inner base, is 970 mm tall and carries 1,500 kg.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 776 words.