3 Benefits of Recycling Pallets

Following on from our last blog, we’re carrying on with the sustainability theme and exploring 3 benefits of recycling pallets for your business.

Recycling and sustainability are hot topics at the moment. Whether you hear about it on the news or social media, more and more people are turning their attention towards the way we use and dispose of the packaging. A focus many businesses are adopting too.

Across the pond, it’s a similar story, but in particular, businesses are looking at the way they are recycling pallets.

Increase in Recycling Pallets

Two years ago, a study conducted at the Virginia Tech institution revealed that up to 95% of pallets in the US were being recycled rather than being sent to landfill, overall reducing the amount of waste being sent to these landfill site.

Over the past 10 years, the number of pallets being taken to waste disposal facilities has been reduced by a fantastic 86%, thanks to increased education and awareness around recycling and current environmental issues.

Why the increase?

Landfill is no longer the obvious and only option when it comes to waste disposal – something many people are beginning to note. By recycling pallets, they are now being stored for reuse or repurposing at industrial sites, or sold on to other businesses or individuals and are used in creative ways.

Pallets that have been in the pallet network for some time begin to show wear and tear. Years ago, the first option was to send them to landfill. Not anymore. Companies, such as PR Pallets, are collecting these unwanted pallets and repurposing them for reuse.

Whether parts are being broken down and used to make reconditioned pallets, or are ground up to woodchip for biofuel, animal bedding or landscaping, recycling pallets has many benefits not just for the pallet suppliers, but the business who decides to recycle them.

Over the past 25 years, the number of pallet recycling programmes has grown exponentially. Just 51 million pallets were recovered in 1992, compared to the 474 million pallets recycled in 2011! By implementing processes to recycle pallets, your business can help ensure even fewer pallets head to landfill.

1. Environmental Effects

Following on from the case study, the most obvious reason for recycling pallets is the knock-on environmental effect. Recycling pallets is the most eco-friendly way to dispose of unwanted wood. Once collected, your unwanted pallets may be broken down and refurbished into new, durable ones where they will remain in the pallet network for years to come.

This process cuts back on the overproduction of brand new pallets and reduces the disposal of perfectly good resources. It’s crucial not to waste what we have, especially if the wood is in a decent condition and can be reused time and time again.

2. Health and Safety

Keeping broken wooden pallets around a depot or workspace can lead to serious health and safety concerns. Not only do they pose a fire risk, but employees are also more likely to have an accident and injure themselves in an unsafe environment.

When pallets are consistently repaired by recycling and repurposing processes, you are ensuring that pallets are in good working condition for the next customer.

3. Become More Sustainable

At PR Pallets, we are proud of our zero waste policies and enjoy providing companies with the opportunity to move toward a more sustainable business model with our pallet recycling service.

Recycling pallets through this type of service will help your organisation to become more environmentally friendly, which offers a whole host of benefits of its own:

Appeal to new consumers

Showing that your business cares more about the environment and less about profit is highly attractive to today’s informed and educated consumers. According to the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), 9 out of 10 consumers consider themselves as “conscious consumers”, 87% of which are more likely to purchase from businesses that commit to environmentally friendly practises.

Reduce Waste

Although this might seem like an obvious benefit, it’s important to consider the pallet recycling options available. With approximately two billion pallets currently in the pallet network in the US alone, these would otherwise end up in landfill without pallet recycling processes in place. Not only is this a serious environmental issue, but it would also significantly increase your disposal costs.

Recycling Pallets with PR Pallets

At PR Pallets we offer a far cheaper alternative to metal waste skips. Our customers find that we are often 60% cheaper when collecting wood, cardboard or plastic.

We offer a lorry hire collection, and you can simply fill up the lorry with your wood/ pallets waste products. We dispose of all our waste, and therefore, do not use third parties who have hidden charges and transport costs.

It’s simple, we have one price for one collection, and we are 60% cheaper than hiring a skip. Call 01992 761 116 now to receive a quotation, or click here for information.