Sustainable Wooden Pallets
Pallets are one of the most used objects in the world. More than 90% of the world’s pallets are made out of wood, which is treated with heat or chemicals to avoid contamination and pest infestation.
Every cubic meter of wood used as a substitute for other building materials reduces CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by an average of 1.1 ton CO2. Wooden pallets do up to 20 trips in their lifetime. After this, nearly 95% of wooden pallets are recovered, repaired and recycled.
Wooden pallets are also made from other recycled or scrap wood products, and when they’ve reached the end of their lifespan, the wood is usually processed into other wood products, such as mulch, particleboard, and animal bedding.
95% of Wood Pallets are Recovered, Repair and Recycled
A Potential Net Carbon Positive Impact.
Canada has 150 million hectares of certified and sustainably managed forests, 2% of those forests are harvested annually. Canada has the largest area of certified forests in the world!
Despite the common misconception, wood pallets do not contribute to deforestation. Although wood pallets are made from new lumber, these trees are usually cut down to produce building materials, furniture or flooring. Considered less attractive, the leftovers or “downfall” are then used to make pallets.
Nearly 95% of wooden pallets are recovered, repaired and recycled.
Pallets and other wood packaging are intensively recycled and reused throughout the span of their useful life. In addition to basic repair and reuse, wood packaging components are reclaimed from unusable products and reintegrated into both new and repaired wood packaging.
At the end of their useful life, most pallets and packaging are repurposed as energy recovery (heating), landscape mulch, animal bedding, soil enhancement, wood particle board or pressed wood pallets.