Many people are under the impression that wood pallets are not good for the environment. The argument is that wood pallets are detrimental to forests. This is certainly not the case! As noted in this article posted by Litco International, there is currently an excess of board footage. When a tree is harvested, there are six more planted in its place. Forest growth exceeds harvest by 47 percent. Litco International also shared this report from the National Hardwood Lumber Association.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) put together annual market review for 2015-2016. The UNECE report notes that there is a global total of 432.5 million hectares (1.06 billion acres) of forestlands. This is an increase of 15.8 million hectares (39 million acres) from the previous 12 month period. In the U.S. alone, there are just 7 million hectares (17 million acres). “The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) reported a certified forest area of 183.3 million hectares (452 billion acres) in April 2016 in the same 81 countries as in the previous 12 months. A large part of the FSC-certified forest is in Europe (88.7 million hectares or 219 billion acres) and North America (67 million hectares or 165 billion acres); 12.9 million hectares (31 billion acres) are FSC-certified in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
At Kamps Pallets, we do more than just talk the talk when it comes to environmental sustainability. Rather than just claiming to be environmentally-conscious, we track our efforts to preserve our resources and encourage our partners and customers to do the same!
We regularly check ourselves against our Green Scorecard. What exactly is it? At any given time, our scorecard keeps track of the effects of recycling pallets – like repurposing pallets unfit for use – in terms of trees saved; tons of pallets kept out of landfills; and CO2 emissions reduced. The Green Scorecard keeps us accountable and our actions measurable as we strive to create a greener industry.
Each Kamps customer also receives their own Green Scorecard during our regular business reviews. We like to assess every possible aspect of your pallet management to identify places where we could be more efficient, whether that’s with financial or natural resources. Through sustainable practices of both ends of the business relationship, we can work together to create a greener industry and a better world.
Kamps Pallets recycles nearly 18 million pallets each year. What does that look like for the environment?
