Shelving.com

Plastic Shelving in the Warehouse: How Does It Stack Up?

 

These days, it seems like your options for warehouse shelving are nearly limitless.

There’s a wide variety of different shelving types to pick from, and part of knowing which one will work best in your office is to understand the differences between them.

For example, let’s consider plastic shelving. While many people consider it something of a ‘newcomer’ to the world of warehouse storage, particularly compared to some old favorites like pallet racks and wire shelving. This sort of thinking isn’t completely accurate, however, as plastic shelving has been around for a long time and can offer specific advantages and benefits even when compared to other types of shelving that have been popular with warehouses for a long time.

Let’s take a look at a few popular shelving types, and see how plastic shelving can compare—as well as what it can do for your warehouse.

 

Wire shelving: One of the most popular types of shelving for warehouses or storage facilities of nearly any type, wire shelving is seen so frequently for a number of reasons, including its durability, accessibility, and its ability to resist germs and corrosion in tough environments. All of these advantages are offered by plastic shelves as well, as plastic shelving is designed to resist corrosion and moisture damage in environments where it might get exposed to the elements or even for something like cold storage. Certain types of plastic shelves, such as NSF plastic utility shelves or MetroMax polymer shelving, are designed specifically to resist germs (up to the standards of the National Sanitation Foundation) and can help with more sensitive items like cleaning supplies, chemicals, or even food storage—exactly the sort of things you’d keep on wire shelving.

 

Steel shelving: Steel shelving is typically considered one of the stronger forms of warehouse shelving, and is generally relied upon to store and organize heavier things like warehouse tools, industrial power tools, and bulky parts for easy access. Most plastic shelves, however, are designed with a higher weight capacity than you might expect, and the design of the material can help you distribute weight more evenly across your shelves to help store items you might’ve thought were too heavy before.

 

Rust-proof shelving: A lot of warehouses that have to deal with harsher climates, such as cold storage or any warehouse with a loading dock that experiences less-than-favorable weather, turns to rust proof shelving as a way to deal with these conditions and prevent their shelves—and the items stored within—from getting damaged. Plastic shelves can offer similar resilience, as heavy-duty plastic allows them to stand up to the elements without the fear of rust or corrosion to affect your goods—or the structural stability of the shelves itself.

 

We could go on and on, but the fact is we think plastic shelves are a great and often overlooked storage solution for warehouses of any size, in any temperature, no matter what they have to store and sell. If you’re thinking about getting plastic shelves for your warehouse, contact Shelving Inc or request a free quote today and let us help you get the storage you need.

Stay in touch

The latest news & helpful info. Sign up and never miss an update.