Scott ELM pallets - Final
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This document discusses Scott ELM's reusable timber transit pallet recovery service. In 2011, they recovered over one million reusable pallets from construction sites and suppliers. Reusable pallets promote sustainability by being reused multiple times rather than being discarded after single use. This reduces waste and the need for new pallet production. The service creates a closed-loop system that facilitates higher reuse rates and lowers business costs compared to single-use pallets.
Scott ELM pallets - Final
- 1. Exemplars: Resource Efficiency in Construction Products Reusable timber transit pallets As part of Scott Group, Scott ELM provides outsourced management of bespoke pools of reusable transit packaging. In 2011, Scott ELM recovered in excess of one million reusable pallets from building sites, builders merchant branches, DIY retail outlets and contractors nationally. Following inspection and repair, the pallets were returned to the original suppliers for reuse. Product details Wooden pallets are essential to the smooth and efficient movement of goods in the construction products supply-chain. While wooden pallets are reusable, repairable and recyclable, many pallets are not recovered for reuse. They are instead treated as disposable packaging and discarded after their first use. Discarded pallets might be down-cycled (e.g. chipped for animal bedding or sent to an energy generation incinerator) or are sent to landfill. Scott ELM promotes pallet reuse and provides a nationwide pallet recovery service. This creates a closed-loop solution that facilitates reuse and reduces the consumption of virgin timber for new pallets. The service promotes higher quality ‘returnable branded pallets’ that can be reused many times. Resource efficiency benefits Scott ELM’s designers promote multi-trip pallets that are more durable and resource efficient than single-trip specifications. Less virgin timber is required to maintain a pool of reusable pallets. Scott Group also includes Scott Pallets. When specified by a customer, Scott Pallets can ensure that timber used in pallet manufacture is sourced from FSC accredited, well managed, legal sources. Business case Reusable pallets are of higher quality than single- trip pallets in terms of strength and loading capability. As a consequence, less accidental damage occurs to transported goods and Health & Safety risks are reduced. Reusable pallets in a well managed pool can be less expensive on a ‘per trip’ basis than single-trip pallets. This is determined by high return and reuse rates and minimising losses. The cost of a new pallet is affected by volatility in the international timber market. A reusable pallet pool provides companies with some protection from the volatility in timber prices. Inspection and repair of reusable pallets: occurs at a Scott ELM depot. Closed loop lifecycle of a reusable pallet
- 2. Resource efficiency Materials quantity Less virgin timber is consumed. The repair of occasional damage to a reusable pallet requires less timber than the manufacture of a single-trip pallet. Materials wastage In 2011, Scott ELM ensured the reuse of approximately 17,000 tonnes of timber in the form of wooden pallets. This was achieved by recovering in excess of one million reusable pallets in the supply-chain. Embodied carbon Carbon dioxide is absorbed as a tree grows. Every cubic metre of wood absorbs approximately one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This carbon dioxide is stored in the wood for the lifespan of a pallet. By reusing a wooden pallet many times, the embodied carbon associated with making new pallets for every trip can be avoided. Reusing wooden pallets can therefore reduce the supplier’s carbon footprint. Life span (e.g. durability) Any necessary repairs are undertaken at Scott ELM depots before the pallets are returned to the supplier for reuse. Scott Pallets offers a design service for bespoke pallets, using NWPCA's Pallet Design System (PDS©) software. This improves pallet durability and minimises the need for repairs. End of life (e.g. reuse; recyclability) Reusable pallets can be chipped at their end-of-life and used as raw material for animal bedding or wood fuel. Resource scarcity & security All timber used in the manufacture and repair of pallets by Scott Pallets and Scott ELM, is sourced from legally farmed, sustainable sources. When specified by a customer, Scott Pallets can ensure that timber used in pallet manufacture is sourced from FSC accredited, well managed, legal sources. Identifying reusable pallets Reusable pallets are typically marked with the supplier’s name or brand. Reusable pallets are often colour coded to signify specification within the supplier’s pallet pool. They might also show the Scott ELM pallet collection free-phone number. Recommended steps for suppliers Sign the Construction Industry Pallet Repatriation Accord. Mark your pallets as returnable. Include clauses in contracts with customers and refer to pallet return and reuse in Terms and Conditions of Sale. Raise awareness with your customers of pallet recovery, return and reuse, eg on quotations, delivery documentation, website etc. Reusable pallet branding/marking: Reusable pallets should be marked to aid identification. Some companies paint their pallets with their corporate colours. Onsite storage: Reusable pallets should be stored separately to single-trip pallets. Scott ELM will collect once 30 or more reusable pallets are ready for collection.
- 3. While we have tried to make sure this case study is accurate, we cannot accept responsibility or be held legally responsible for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with this information being inaccurate, incomplete or misleading. This material is copyrighted. You can copy it free of charge as long as the material is accurate and not used in a misleading context. You must identify the source of the material and acknowledge our copyright. You must not use material to endorse or suggest we have endorsed a commercial product or service. For more details please see our terms and conditions on our website at www.wrap.org.uk www.wrap.org.uk/construction Supply chain testimonials John Adams, Group Procurement Director “Scott ELM are experts in this field and offer a national service. I believe that this process will deliver a cost saving opportunity for our suppliers as it will reduce their requirement for new pallets. This initiative will benefit all organisations using pallets as a packaging and transport medium and also be a very positive environmental statement for all concerned to make.” John Leader, Group Environment Manager “As a founding signatory to the Pallet Repatriation Accord, Travis Perkins formed a working partnership with Scott ELM to enable pallets to be returned to suppliers. This is a great example of sustainability at work in our sector. The Scott ELM service fits perfectly with our strategy of ensuring a Sustainable Competitive Advantage” David Bickers, Supply Planning “We recognise the benefits for all in the supply-chain of reusing pallets rather than sending them to landfill. We are working with customers to raise awareness and increase return rates. Our products are transported on strong durable pallets and it makes sense to reuse them rather than dispose of them after one use”. Jon Tivey, Environmental Manager “Using the Scott ELM pallet recovery service should require no second thought. Putting a valuable reusable resource into a skip makes no sense. The service works very well on our sites. With suppliers fully embedded in the system, every construction project, no matter what size, will benefit”. Company contact Scott ELM, Church Gresley Industrial Estate, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9NR Tel: 01283 550 660 Web: www.scottgroupltd.com/elm.asp E-mail: enquiries@scott-elm.com