Whitewood Under Siege: Wooden Shipping Pallets • Hacker News Board

Re: Whitewood Under Siege: Wooden Shipping Pallets

#71

Post by Avshalom » Tue, May 27, 2014, 10:41 PM UTC

mbreese wrote: post #63

jacquesm wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you ever seen an injection moulding machine that can produce something the size of a pallet? Do you know how much energy it takes to run one and how much expertise to keep it running? How much it costs? How much energy is required to power the recycling process? http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/1830977371/plastic_pallet_i... These machines are viable because they run continuously (at least, when they're not brok…

You wouldn't use injection molding for a pallet - it's too big. However compression molding is an option. It's not as accurate as injection molding, but it's significantly cheaper. Or at least it is at the scale my father-in-law works at when he makes plastic pallets :). His pallets are custom designed for a specific industry to fit in their manufacturing and logistics workflow.

The real problem is that "plastic packaging scrap" is not

A) unlikely to be a single type of plastic

B) unlikely to be the type of plastic you would want to use for a pallet

Re: Whitewood Under Siege: Wooden Shipping Pallets

#72

Post by lotsofmangos » Tue, May 27, 2014, 11:35 PM UTC

Avshalom wrote: post #71

mbreese wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You wouldn't use injection molding for a pallet - it's too big. However compression molding is an option. It's not as accurate as injection molding, but it's significantly cheaper. Or at least it is at the scale my father-in-law works at when he makes plastic pallets :). His pallets are custom designed for a specific industry to fit in their manufacturing and logistics workflow.

The real problem is that "plastic packaging scrap" is not A) unlikely to be a single type of plastic B) unlikely to be the type of plastic you would want to use for a pallet

Plastic export pallets are already made from low grade mixed waste.

Re: Whitewood Under Siege: Wooden Shipping Pallets

#73

Post by nwenzel » Wed, May 28, 2014, 4:42 AM UTC

phpnode wrote: post #15

nwenzel wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of the examination of costs in the comments assume a zero cost of enforcement. Free courts, free police, free jailing or fine enforcement of any violators. Without that free enforcement, these $5-$50 items would not be worth fighting over. I don't believe that police protection should be a fee-for-service business, but are there no checks and balances on the use of public services for private gain?

Your argument applies to theft of any low value item. If a shopkeeper presses charges against a shoplifter, are they using public services for private gain? Should there be checks in place to stop shopkeepers from reporting too many thieves?

It would seem from the article that the business model not only requires the free protection, but that the enforcement of fines an judgements is a major driver of revenues.

In your hypothetical example, I believe you are referring to a physical storefront where the primary revenue generating activity is to sell merchandise.

If your hypothetical shopkeeper had a shop that made more money from forcing shoplifters to pay a fine for scaling, then... perhaps. I don't think your hypothetical shop exists, so it's tough for me to answer.