Note (October 2026): This article has been corrected. Earlier versions said plastic is more sustainable than glass or paper because it can be recycled, described plastic waste as forming a land mass, and listed a biodiesel producer as a plastics maker; those statements were wrong and have been rewritten.
Plastic pallet box manufacturers make large, forklift-ready containers for storing and shipping bulk goods. Established makers include ORBIS Corporation and Buckhorn in the United States, Schoeller Allibert in the Netherlands, and CABKA and the Craemer Group in Germany. The right box depends on footprint, load rating, wall type and whether it folds when empty.
Key Takeaways
- Plastic pallet boxes are rigid bulk containers on a pallet-style base, moved by forklift or pallet jack.
- Most follow ISO 6780 pallet footprints such as 1,200 × 1,000 mm, 1,200 × 800 mm or 48 × 40 inches.
- ORBIS, Buckhorn, Schoeller Allibert, CABKA and the Craemer Group are established manufacturers.
- Check rated load, stacking limit, wall type and foldability before buying.
- According to the EPA, about 8.7 percent of US plastics were recycled in 2018 (newest published figure), so long-life reusable boxes matter.
A plastic pallet box (also called a bulk box, pallet container or large load carrier) is a large rigid container built on a pallet-style base so a forklift or pallet jack can move it. Many models take an optional lid, and lids are normally made for one specific box footprint.
Buyers can choose a box size that matches the load and the storage space; one supplier site mentioned in earlier versions of this article is favosplastic.com and, as with any supplier, its specifications should be checked directly. Choosing a box and lid from the same product line avoids paying for parts that do not fit.
There are many types of plastic pallet boxes on the market. The main design choices are solid or vented walls, fixed or collapsible (foldable) walls, and the type of base. The right choice depends on the load, how the box is handled, and whether empty boxes must be shipped back or stored.
This guide was first written around the top ten best plastic pallet box manufacturers and now profiles five established manufacturers whose details could be verified, plus the criteria for choosing between them.
Best Plastic Pallet Boxes List
The manufacturers profiled further down this page were checked against their own websites, trade publications and Wikipedia as of October 2026. Prices are quoted per project and change with size, order volume and resin costs, and the right box depends on the load, so there is no single number 1 best plastic pallet box.
What Is The Best Size For A Storage Container?
For plastic pallet boxes, the best size is usually the one that matches the pallet standard used in the supply chain. ISO 6780 lists the common pallet footprints, including 1,200 × 1,000 mm and 1,200 × 800 mm (the EUR pallet) in Europe and 48 × 40 inches in North America, so most pallet boxes are built to one of these sizes.
A tight-fitting lid helps keep dust, moisture and pests out, which matters most for food, pharmaceutical and outdoor storage.
Plastic Packaging
Plastic packaging is not automatically more sustainable than glass or paper just because it can be recycled. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s newest published figures (for 2018), the United States generated 35.7 million tons of plastics and recycled about 8.7 percent. Many grocery stores run drop-off collection for plastic bags and film, but availability varies, so check local rules.
Most plastics are made from fossil fuels (oil) as a main ingredient, which can have negative effects on the environment. Natural gas is also a fossil fuel, so switching to it does not make plastic renewable; recycled plastic is the most widely used lower-impact raw material.
Recycled resin can be blended in during production, reducing the need for virgin, fossil fuel-based raw materials. Several pallet box makers, including CABKA, build their products from recycled plastic.
Some companies aim to reduce environmental impact while still keeping goods safe and protected. Earlier versions of this article named Pacific Biodiesel, Zemdco, Andes Envelopes and Upcycle Plus here; Pacific Biodiesel is in fact a Hawaii biodiesel producer that makes fuel from used cooking oil, and the other three could not be confirmed as makers of plastic pallet boxes.
Claims about renewable or recycled content are best checked against each company’s own published material data before buying.
Creative Plastic
Pallet box design keeps changing, from one-piece boxes to foldable large containers whose walls fold down when empty to save return-transport space. As in fashion, décor or technology, buyers tend to move to newer designs when they cut costs.
Schoeller Allibert’s Magnum and Maxipac ranges are examples of foldable large containers, with fold-down walls and, for Maxipac, wheel-based and pallet-based versions.
For a logistics team, the practical question is whether a newer design lowers handling, storage or return-freight costs for its own loads.
Practical ways to compare designs include manufacturer specification sheets, trade-show demonstrations, trade publications and a trial order of a few units before a full rollout.
It is also worth asking the people who load, stack and clean the boxes every day, because they see damage and handling problems first.
That is where creative plastic box designs come into play: boxes designed to do more than traditional plastic boxes were built for, such as walls that fold flat when empty or perforated, ventilated sides (both offered in Schoeller Allibert’s Magnum range).
Plastic Universe
Plastic is one of the most common materials in daily life: according to the EPA, plastics made up 12.2 percent of US municipal solid waste generation in 2018, the newest year the agency has published. You probably use it every day without even realizing it!
From using plastics for food packaging to buying products that contain plastic components, you are exposed to plastic constantly. Ocean garbage patches are sometimes described as islands of plastic, but NOAA says that picture is misleading: the debris, much of it tiny microplastic, is spread through the water from the surface to the sea floor rather than forming a land mass.
Plastic is widely used in packaging and logistics because it is light, durable and can be molded into complex shapes, and demand for it remains strong.
The problem comes at the end of a product’s life. Most plastic is discarded rather than recycled, and plastic that is not collected and managed properly can end up as litter and pollution.
Many towns and cities have limited recycling facilities, which limits how much waste is actually recycled. In fact, some municipalities make throwing your trash in the garbage even easier by offering free dumping services!
For businesses, one practical response is to choose reusable pallet boxes that make many trips and can be recycled at the end of their life. The manufacturers profiled below are established makers of reusable plastic pallet boxes and bulk containers.
Warehouse Projects
Another way to use plastic pallets is in a warehouse or storage space. There are many ways to design these plastic crate or box systems. You can make them fully enclosed so that they protect their contents from any moisture, dirt, or other contaminants, or you can have open crates that allow access to the content easily.
Some systems are modular, so a damaged component can be replaced instead of scrapping the whole unit. That flexibility helps because the part that wears out first depends on how the boxes are handled.
The most important factor when choosing which type of crate system to use is how heavy it is to transport and handle. Check the box’s rated load, its stacking limit and the height limits of racks, trucks and doorways before buying.
If someone you know is planning storage for a warehouse or stockroom, share this guide and our contact information so they can ask us directly for recommendations.
Five Established Plastic Pallet Box Manufacturers
Details come from each company’s own website, trade publications and Wikipedia, checked in October 2026. The order is alphabetical, not a ranking.
| Manufacturer | Headquarters | Parent or ownership | Relevant products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhorn | Milford, Ohio, USA | Myers Industries (NYSE: MYE) | Bulk boxes, intermediate bulk containers, pallets, hand-held containers |
| CABKA | Founded in Weira, Germany | Listed on Euronext Amsterdam since 2022 | Recycled-plastic pallets, large containers and pallet boxes |
| Craemer Group | Herzebrock-Clarholz, Germany | Family-owned | Plastic pallets, large load carriers, plastic containers |
| ORBIS Corporation | Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, USA | Menasha Corporation | Bulk containers, totes, pallets, dunnage |
| Schoeller Allibert | Hoofddorp, Netherlands | Group with operations in Europe, the Americas and Asia | Foldable large containers (Magnum, Maxipac), returnable transit packaging |
Buckhorn
Buckhorn is a Myers Industries company based in Milford, Ohio, that makes reusable plastic packaging for manufacturing, distribution and food supply chains. Its range includes bulk boxes, intermediate bulk containers, pallets and specialty boxes. Buckhorn says it created the first plastic bakery tray for a grocery retailer in 1965.
CABKA
CABKA is a German-founded maker of load carriers made from recycled post-consumer and post-industrial plastic. According to the company, it was established in 1994 in Weira, Thuringia, runs six production facilities in Germany, the United States, Belgium and Spain, and has been listed on Euronext Amsterdam since March 2022. Its products include pallets, large containers and pallet boxes.
Craemer Group
The Craemer Group is a family company headquartered in Herzebrock-Clarholz, Germany. Craemer GmbH was founded in 1912 as a metal-forming business and has processed plastics since 1958; its range includes plastic pallets, large load carriers and wheeled waste bins. For 2025, the group reported a total operating performance of around 380 million euros with around 1,100 employees.
ORBIS Corporation
ORBIS Corporation is a reusable packaging manufacturer headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, and a subsidiary of Menasha Corporation. It makes plastic totes, bulk containers, pallets and dunnage. Its one-piece BulkPak bulk containers are offered in footprints from 32 × 30 inches to 70 × 48 inches for heavy automotive, appliance and transportation parts.
Schoeller Allibert
Schoeller Allibert is a returnable transit packaging maker based in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, with more than 40 production and sales operations across Europe, the Americas and Asia. Its foldable large containers include the Magnum range, with fold-down walls and smooth or ventilated versions, and Maxipac, which comes in wheel-based and pallet-based versions.
How to Choose a Plastic Pallet Box
Choosing a plastic pallet box comes down to matching the box to the load, the handling equipment and the return trip.
- Footprint: match the pallet standard in your supply chain, such as 1,200 × 1,000 mm, 1,200 × 800 mm or 48 × 40 inches.
- Load and stacking: confirm the rated static (stacked) and dynamic (moving) load on the manufacturer’s specification sheet, and whether the box can go in racking.
- Walls: solid walls protect small parts and liquids; vented walls suit produce that needs airflow.
- Fixed or foldable: foldable boxes take far less space when empty, which matters if they travel back to the sender.
- Base: check whether forklifts and pallet jacks can enter from two or four sides, and whether casters are needed.
- Material: most pallet boxes are molded from HDPE or polypropylene; ask whether recycled content is used and whether the box can be recycled at the end of its life.
- Hygiene: for food or pharmaceutical use, ask for smooth, easy-clean surfaces and the relevant food-contact documentation.
Use a weight converter when comparing specification sheets that mix kilograms and pounds.
Plastic Pallet Boxes vs. Wooden Crates
| Factor | Plastic pallet box | Wooden crate or box |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Washable, non-porous surface | Porous; harder to sanitize |
| Typical use | Closed-loop and repeated trips | One-way or low-cost shipments |
| Empty storage | Foldable models collapse flat | Usually fixed size |
| Upfront cost | Higher | Lower |
Plastic pallet boxes usually pay off where the same boxes make many trips, such as between a supplier and a factory. For warehouse layout and handling, see how to make your warehouse more efficient, the basics of robotic vs. conventional palletizing and the qualifications for a forklift operator. For how the boxes themselves are made, read the steps for successful plastic injection molding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a plastic pallet box?
A plastic pallet box is a large container with a pallet-style base, moved by forklift or pallet jack and used to store and ship bulk goods. It is also called a bulk box, pallet container or large load carrier, and it can have solid or vented walls and fixed or foldable sides.
What are plastic pallet boxes made of?
Plastic pallet boxes are mostly molded from HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or polypropylene. Some manufacturers, such as CABKA, make load carriers from recycled post-consumer and post-industrial plastic.
What size is a standard plastic pallet box?
There is no single size; boxes follow the pallet standards. ISO 6780 includes 1,200 × 1,000 mm and 1,200 × 800 mm footprints common in Europe and 48 × 40 inches common in North America.
Are plastic pallet boxes better than wooden crates?
Plastic pallet boxes are easier to clean and suit repeated trips, while wooden crates cost less up front for one-way shipments. The better choice depends on how many trips the box will make and on hygiene needs.
