In the construction business, wasted wooden pallets are a huge problem. Most of the pallets that are thrown away have only been used once. Scott Group, one of the UK’s leading pallet manufacturers, together with Paul and Ryan Lewis, whose family used to own HLC Wood Products (before the Scott Group bought it), has developed a solution to the problem. Their joint venture is called The Pallet LOOP.
Optimist Daily writes, “this project aims to target pallet waste to help the construction sector meet green targets set by the UK government.” One of the problems with ordinary pallets is that they are usually treated with toxic pesticides and dangerous bacteria. Many people want to reuse discarded pallets but make sure to look for the IPPC stamp before using it for your kids or in DIY projects.
What is the idea behind The Pallet LOOP? Well, to begin with, they aim to build pallets that are twice as strong as regular pallets so that they can easily be reused. Building material manufacturers will be asked to pay a deposit for the LOOP pallets to prevent users from disposing of the distinctive green pallets. This fee is then used throughout the supply chain. Once the pallets are returned to LOOP, they will be recirculated back to the supply chain, and the deposits are repaid.
Positive News writes that “those at The Pallet LOOP say widespread adoption of their system across the sector would cut CO2 emissions by 40 percent and timber use by three-quarters.”
So far, many big construction firms like Willmott Dixon, BAM Construction, and the Morgan Sindall Group have pledged to evaluate how their business can integrate The Pallet LOOP.
Vincent Roose
