We conduct ourselves with integrity in all we do and that includes our environmental stance.
It all starts with our commitment to a full-circle integrated waste strategy for the materials that we utilize. The cornerstone of this commitment is to ensure that no reusable wood waste is sent to landfill. We focus on the best methods in the industry to repair, recycle, renew and re-use wooden pallets and various other forms of wood waste.
- Wood pallets are the most recycled packaging product on the planet.
- 95% of pallets are recovered, refurbished and recycled or turned into another product at the end of their useful life.
- Reverse Logistics are a critical component of a product’s environmental footprint
We understand the responsibility that comes with using natural materials, and we take preservation of our natural resources seriously.
It is pretty obvious that without wood we couldn’t build our products. And it is equally obvious that without healthy sustainable forest practices we couldn’t harvest the wood we need.
Modern farming operations optimize every aspect of their harvesting process to ensure that their crop yields are maximized and that their livelihood is sustainable. Forest harvesting is no different. Each tree is utilized in the most effective way possible with the goal of generating as much high grade lumber as possible. These higher grades are utilized for construction, furniture and other high value products. The lower value wood, which is typically the centre of the tree, gets used in industrial purposes such as ours. Our industry works synergistically with other sectors of the economy to ensure that every part of a harvested tree is utilized.
It is clearly apparent that the material handling world needs pallets, boxes, crates etc. and that building these products with wood is a better environmental choice than plastics, corrugates or metals. But once manufactured what impact does the wood pallet have on the world throughout the rest of it’s life cycle? That’s an important question that can now be answered thanks to a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and corresponding Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) that was conducted in 2020.
EPDs provide a transparent and product-specific environmental declaration of performance based on a standardized, common methodology used for performance evaluation. This is a first for a product in the distribution packaging space and it speaks volumes to the quantitative impact that wooden pallets have on the environment beyond their reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable qualities. This EPD is a major step in scientifically validating the benefits of wood pallets, and this research supports the sustainability of wood which helps logistics and procurement professionals make critical decisions when it comes to the sustainability of their supply chains.
“EPDs are an independently verified disclosure tool that helps purchasers better understand a product’s sustainable qualities and environmental repercussions, so they can make more informed product selections”
The wood pallet EPD scientifically validates the benefits of wood pallets.
- Solidifies wooden pallets as the clear sustainable choice for all supply chains
- Establishes wooden pallets as a leader of environmental stewardship
- Provides the end user with a way to measure their own impact of pallet usage
- Illustrates that the wooden pallet can have a potential net carbon positive impact
A critical component of the wooden pallet EPD study is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which shows that wooden pallets can have a potential net carbon positive impact. Through the unique properties of wood and reverse logistics, carbon offsets can be achieved by the reuse of pallet materials. That means the use of our wood products can act as a carbon offset to our customers other activities and that we can quantify the impact.
Every cubic meter of wood used as a substitute for other materials reduces CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by an average of 1.1 tons CO2. If this is added to the 0.9 tons of CO2 stored in the wood itself, each cubic meter of wood saves a total of 2.0 tons CO2.
