Why is it Illegal to Own Plastic Pallet？
Why is it illegal to own plastic pallets? I think this is a topic that many people will be surprised to see for the first time. Why is it illegal for me to own plastic pallets? In fact, I think it should be put in another way, it should be illegal to own plastic pallets that cannot be proven to have been obtained in a legal way.
I'm sure you should still have a lot of questions right now, so I'll explain it all to you next!
Why is it Illegal to Own Plastic Pallet？
This issue arises because the State of Arizona in the United States implemented a law on July 20, 2011, which states, among other things, that a person engaged in the business of recycling, shredding, reselling, and destroying plastic and wooden bulk merchandise containers may not purchase five or more plastic bulk merchandise containers marked with a company's name or logo from any person at the same time. (In the case of wooden bulk commodity containers, ten or more are required.)
If you have a need to purchase, you are required to have proof of legal purchase or acquisition of the plastic pallets you are purchasing. And you are required to have the following details: the seller's name, address, telephone number, and information that can prove the identity of the documents. And your company or individual is required to keep this seller information for a year so that it can be checked by the police and other relevant authorities.
So, in Arizona, if you have five or more plastic pallets by purchasing, etc. without obtaining the seller's information, then from that moment on you have a batch of plastic pallets of unknown origin, and you are breaking the law in terms of what's in the latest statute 44-1799.81.
Why does Arizona have this law?
One of the biggest reasons why Arizona enacted this law is because of the growing problem of plastic pallet theft. Because plastic pallets have the advantage of being recycled into raw plastic material, they are not only profitable but also very easy to resell.
Therefore, in this case, the formation of a difficult to regulate the black market, but also has such an illegal demand, which led to Arizona in 2011 before and after the emergence of increasingly serious theft of plastic products such as plastic pallets.
This has had a very serious financial impact on local businesses, so this law was enacted to make it difficult for stolen plastic pallets to be sold or recycled through legal channels, thus reducing the incidence of theft of plastic pallets and protecting the private assets of businesses from being threatened.
Why Plastic Pallet Thefts Are Happening in Arizona？
I think this occurs basically in relation to the location of the address in the state, the growth of the local industry, and local conditions.
Transportation and Warehousing Center
First of all, we need to know that Arizona is close to Mexico, so this place is the main route for the transportation of goods between the United States and Mexico.
Secondly, due to the advantages brought about by geographic location, the state is logical to have an important and mature logistics and distribution industry, and these industries have numerous warehouses and distribution centers.
These places have the most relevant accessories, pallets, and plastic pallets are more durable than wooden, so that explains why in Arizona there will be a large number of plastic pallets.
The Value of Plastic Pallets
Basically, pallets are mainly made of wood and plastic, and plastic pallets have a higher theft value as compared to wooden pallets because of their higher resale market demand and high recycling value. So the chances of plastic pallets being stolen in Arizona are much higher.
Location
As I mentioned above, Arizona's proximity to Mexico makes it easy for stolen plastic pallets to be shipped across the border, where they can be resold and recycled more easily and without legal regulation.
Organized Crime
The last and very important reason that prompted the development of the regulations was the emergence of organized crime groups, whose very presence brought about large-scale thefts, among which the number of thefts of plastic pallets is increasing.
Regarding the Current State in 2024
In 2024, plastic pallet theft in Arizona will still exist, but it will be an improvement over 2011. With respect to regulations, although 44-1799.81 is still in effect, the actual enforcement burden has been reduced. Enforcement efforts are now focused on high-risk areas and repeat offenders, with less emphasis on small-scale and occasional transactions.