Greener Use of Pallets
01 Dec 2017
Although pallets made from wood have been around for years, the trend for environmentally friendly wooden pallets and pallets made from other recycled materials is relatively new and already growing fast. The fact is that it is entirely possible to enjoy ‘greener’ pallets, and there are significant benefits to the environment from doing so. Many customers are keen to invest in greener business solutions in order to do their bit to save the planet, and they are prepared to invest in environmentally friendly solutions that allow them to be responsible citizens and – where they are in business – to market themselves as sustainable and responsible community businesses that care about the environment.
When it comes to recycling wooden pallets, the industry has made great strides in developing wooden pallets from waste wood materials, crates and boxes, using between 50pc and 100pc waste wood materials. This waste wood is generated from industries such as milling, paper-making, furniture manufacture and timber management, leading to waste materials in the form of offcuts, chips and sawdust. This is already a vast improvement on the previous choices of green wood, plastic and other non-recycled materials.
Introducing IPPC Environmental Pallets
IPPC stands for Innovative Process Product Conversion, and it describes a new type of ‘green’ pallet that has been designed to reduce carbon footprints. These recycled material wooden pallets are made from wooden waste material and help businesses and their customers to reduce waste and to help reduce carbon emissions.
A Range of Sizes
What’s more, these packaging solutions are recognised by international regulations and eco-friendly standards, including those set by the International Plant Protection Convention (ISPM15). Wastage is further minimised by re-engineering pallets into a wide range of sizes, shapes, types of functionality and total capacities.
Environmental Legislation
The environmental legislation that ISPM15 forms part of is designed to regulate phytosanitary measures. These are designed to prevent quarantine pests from being introduced and moved around in wood materials where raw green wood has been used. These new IPPC pallets are designed to be pest-free, and they will contain up to 100pc of waste materials to make them as environmentally friendly as possible.
Further Benefits
There are other benefits too. These IPPC pallets, boxes and crates do not need any heat treatment or fumigation when they are used for export. This saves exporting businesses time and money when compared to those packaging materials made from natural wood. They are also faster to deliver to customers, as the products are quick to produce and can be stored ready for delivery in a range of custom sizes and dimensions. There is an additional environmental benefit too, as fumigation can be damaging to local flora and fauna and there is no need for this extra step with the new ‘green’ recycled wooden pallets.