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Pharmaceuticals face some of the most rigid packaging standards of any industry. Mold contamination is a non-starter, even when products are double- or triple-boxed. Moisture control and sanitation aren’t optional — they are critical to product safety and compliance.
That’s why almost all pallets in this industry are new. Options like kiln-dried pine stringer pallets, pressed wood or plastic pallets are common because they minimize contamination risk. Recycled wood pallets are rarely used due to strict hygiene requirements.
Fragmented vendor networks create additional challenges. With multiple plants and tight timelines, procurement leaders often overspend — either by buying over-engineered pallets that add cost, or under-engineered pallets that risk compliance failures.
Millwood helps pharmaceutical companies consolidate suppliers, standardize moisture-controlled pallet specs and implement alternative solutions that balance compliance, cost and sustainability.
Are Your Pallets Putting Compliance at Risk?
Pharmaceutical companies often overspend on pallets built far above their needs, or cut costs with under-engineered solutions that risk contamination. Millwood engineers right-fit, mold-controlled solutions that eliminate both risks.
Use Case 1: Protecting Against Mold and Moisture
Mold contamination is unacceptable in pharmaceutical shipping. Millwood provides kiln-dried new stringer pallets, pressed wood or plastic alternatives to ensure safe handling and zero compliance risks.
→ Learn more strategies in the Strategic Sourcing Report.
Use Case 2: Engineering Pallet Alternatives
From plastic pallets for hygiene to pressed-wood pallets for export, Millwood engineers compliant alternatives that reduce risk while supporting efficiency.
→ Explore more in the Report.
Use Case 3: Simplifying Vendor Management Across Facilities
Managing multiple suppliers drives up cost and risk. Millwood consolidates vendors and standardizes specs across plants, ensuring consistent compliance and dependable supply chain performance.
→ See more examples in the Strategic Sourcing Report.
5 Proven Ways to Strengthen Your Supply Chain:
Eliminate redundant vendor costs
Engineer right-fit pallets for heavy products
Scale solutions across multiple plants
Prevent costly product damage
Improve ESG results with recycling programs
When a national packaging provider faced rising freight costs, safety risks and product damage from inconsistent crate construction, they needed a scalable solution. Working together, we and our partner engineered an integrated packaging system that combined corner protection with custom crate design to strengthen performance and eliminate inefficiencies.
Through collaboration, testing and process control, we delivered consistent quality, improved safety and reduced total cost per unit — proving that partnership drives stronger results than competition ever could.
Pharmaceutical products can’t risk contamination, even when boxed. New, mold-free pallets are required to ensure compliance and protect consumer health. Recycled pallets are almost never accepted in pharmaceutical supply chains.
Pharmaceutical supply chains are among the most regulated in the world. Even if finished products are packaged in cartons or cases, regulators and customers require absolute assurance that mold, dust or contaminants will not be introduced by a pallet. New kiln-dried lumber eliminates moisture issues, while pressed-wood and plastic alternatives provide further protection. Millwood engineers and supplies these options so pharmaceutical manufacturers can meet FDA, EU, and customer requirements without compromise.
Most pharmaceutical companies use kiln-dried stringer pallets, pressed-wood pallets or plastic pallets. Each offers unique advantages for hygiene, compliance and supply chain performance.
Kiln-dried stringer pallets are widely accepted for pharmaceutical distribution because they reduce moisture content and the risk of mold. Pressed-wood pallets, made from resin-bonded wood fibers, are ISPM-15 compliant and ideal for export. Plastic pallets are a growing choice for cleanroom and reusable environments, offering both hygiene and long service life. Millwood evaluates product type, shipping environment, and cost goals to recommend right-fit pallet solutions that balance compliance with operational efficiency.
Rarely. Recycled pallets introduce variability and higher risk of contamination, which most pharmaceutical supply chains cannot accept.
Unlike food or consumer goods, pharmaceutical compliance standards leave little room for risk. Used pallets may contain mold, chemical residues, or structural weaknesses that can jeopardize product safety. However, pressed-wood pallets or plastic designs may be accepted by some customers as sustainable alternatives to new wood. Millwood’s packaging experts guide pharmaceutical companies through these decisions, ensuring their pallet choice aligns with regulations, customer expectations and internal sustainability goals without exposing the supply chain to unnecessary risk.
Strategic sourcing consolidates vendors, standardizes specifications and ensures compliance across facilities. This reduces complexity, improves reliability and strengthens risk management.
Pharmaceutical companies often operate multiple plants and distribution hubs, each with strict hygiene and compliance standards. Managing separate pallet vendors for each location increases administrative burden and the risk of non-compliant pallets entering the system. Millwood applies strategic sourcing to unify pallet specifications, streamline procurement and maintain verified supply consistency across the network. The result is lower cost, fewer compliance failures and better visibility into the total packaging program.
Yes. Millwood supplies pressed-wood and plastic pallets that meet international export standards and eliminate the need for fumigation or ISPM-15 treatment.
Pharmaceutical supply chains are global, and compliance doesn’t stop at the border. Pressed-wood pallets are resin-bonded, pest-free and accepted worldwide, while plastic pallets deliver the same global acceptance with added hygiene benefits. Both options help pharmaceutical manufacturers avoid costly delays at customs and ensure that shipments arrive safely. Millwood tests and validates these pallets in our Packaging Science Lab, giving customers confidence that their products remain protected and compliant from origin to destination.
ISTA-certified testing simulates real-world transit conditions, ensuring every pallet, crate and solution performs reliably.
From engineered pallets to specialized crates, Millwood designs packaging solutions tailored to your products’ durability and transport needs.
Repair-and-return programs, pallet recycling and circular solutions that cut costs while meeting ESG goals.
Discover how strategic sourcing with Millwood can simplify your supply chain and deliver measurable results.