Comparison of treatment methods for pallets using LCA and dynamic programming

Heat treatment and Methyl Bromide fumigation are the two treatment methods used to kill pests in wood packaging materials such as pallets before being used for global trade logistics. With rise in global trade, the use of these treatment methods has increased, and thus increasing costs and emissions of methyl bromide and other greenhouse gases. The proposed methodology comprises of a comparison of treatment methods and a comparison of wooden and plastic type pallet using Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). The implementation combines LCA with dynamic programming to optimize "pallet type" decisions at various stages of the product life cycle.