Transport and logistics giant Brambles has decided against a $1 billion-plus investment in a pool of plastic pallets to be used in the supply chain for the 570-plus warehouse stores of big United States retailing customer Costco.

Brambles chief executive Graham Chipchase said the returns didn’t stack up for Brambles to make the shift to plastic pallets, in part because the cost of making plastic pallets had jumped by 50 per cent in the past nine months.