Have you thought about the environmental benefits of wooden pallets?
When you need to ship products across the country or around the world one of the most effective ways to do it is to use pallets, but which type of pallet should you choose? While plastic pallets are popular for some products there are still many reasons to consider wooden pallets, one of the most striking is the environmental benefits that wooden pallets can offer.
Can wooden pallets really be good for the environment? It might seem strange to talk about the environmental benefits of wooden pallets when in many industries wooden is being rejected due to concerns about deforestation but is that rejection really fair? While everyone knows that most natural resources are limited when wood is harvested from trees which are grown sustainably is it really a problem? Many major pallet producers only use pallets created from sustainable wood, and often work with groups that plant two trees for every one that they cut down. In that situation wood is a completely sustainable resource.
Reduced environmental impact Everyone today is concerned about their carbon footprint and it is right to think about the impact that our lifestyle choices have upon our planet. Shipping goods across the country will inevitably have some impact but there are ways to minimise that impact. One advantage of using wooden pallets which is not often considered is that they allow the consolidation of many small deliveries into one larger delivery. By using wooden pallets to combine shipments the total number of deliveries is reduced and the resulting carbon footprint is smaller.
An extended life cycle Wooden pallets are difficult to damage and if damage does occur it can usually be quickly repaired instead of resulting in the pallet being thrown out. When it is time for a wooden pallet to be replaced the wood can often be repurposed in a variety of ways. Even, if the pallet is no longer needed the wood is entirely recyclable and will not be sent to landfill. By contrast, while plastic pallets can be recycled but for that to happen the plastic must be melted down and reshaped which uses a considerable amount of energy.
While no-one can deny that transporting goods will always have some impact on the environment wooden pallets offer a clear way of keeping that impact on the planet to a minimum. Talk to your supplier today about how you can start using wooden pallets in your business.
