March 2018 – Pallet Foundation

STUDY SHOWS 95% OF WOODEN PALLETS ARE RECYCLED

March 29, 2018/in NEWS/by Annette Ferri

STUDY SHOWS 95% OF WOODEN PALLETS ARE RECYCLED

INDICATING SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN LANDFILL AVOIDANCE

ALEXANDRIA VA, March 29, 2018 – Preliminary results of a research project conducted by Virginia Tech on the disposal of wood pallets at landfill sites reveal that 95% of wooden pallets are being recycled.

The landfill avoidance study was independently conducted at Virginia Tech over the course of two years. Both municipal and solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition (C&D) landfill facilities were surveyed to better understand how pallets were being handled at these facilities.

According to the study, the number of pallets entering the landfill reduced by 86%, for both MSW and C&D facilities. Environmental awareness, limited space and a desire to be more waste efficient have driven many of these facilities to sort and recover certain types of waste. The overall presence of wood pallets at landfill facilities has also significantly decreased.

“Our industry is thrilled that the data proves the wood packaging sector, more than any other, is closing in on zero-waste,” said Larry Howell of Cottondale Wood Products and NWPCA Chair. “Wood pallets are 100% recyclable, and the newest research from Virginia Tech shows that our industry has the highest recovery rate at 95%, compared to other prevalent materials.”

“Data of this kind had not been collected since 1998,” said Dr. Brad Gething, NWPCA Director of Science and Technology Integration. “The wood packaging sector has long been touting their recyclable efforts for decades, and now the data proves it.” Wooden pallets get used, reused, and when they are no longer useful, they are converted to mulch, animal bedding or biofuel.

“Of those wooden pallets that arrive at landfills, both MSW and C&D facilities recycle even further,” added Dr. Laszlo Horvath, Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech. “The results show that landfill facilities have increased their wood and wood pallet recovery areas over the past two decades. For MSW facilities, this number increased from 33% to 62% of facilities, while for C&D facilities, the number increased from 27% to 45%.”

“It’s great news for our environment, as well as the public. Landfill facilities provide recycled by-products, such as mulch, to their local communities,” said Brent McClendon, CAE, NWPCA President & CEO. The preliminary results of the landfill avoidance study, along with a recent industry market survey, are being submitted for peer-reviewed journals. Learn more about the research study.

The research project was funded in part by the USDA Forest Service and The Pallet Foundation.

CONTACT

Annette Ferri
Vice President of Communications
Phone: 703.519.6104 ext. 207
Email

ABOUT THE NATIONAL WOODEN PALLET & CONTAINER ASSOCIATION

The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) is the largest organization of wood packaging professionals in the world, with more than 670 company members in 28 countries who manufacture, repair and distribute pallets and wood packaging in unit-load solutions, or who supply products and services to the industry.

ABOUT THE PALLET FOUNDATION

Formed in 1996, The Pallet Foundation, a 501(c) charitable foundation, supports research, education/training and safety in the wood packaging industry while promoting the industry to end-user markets. Learn more about The Pallet Foundation.

VIDEO LAUNCHED: WOOD PACKAGING SUPPORTS HEALTHY FORESTS

March 27, 2018/in NEWS/by Annette Ferri

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“WOOD PACKAGING SUPPORTS HEALTHY FORESTS AND STRONG COMMUNITIES”

VIDEO MAKES THE CASE FOR WOOD PALLETS

Alexandria, VA – March 27, 2018: The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) has released “Wood Packaging Supports Healthy Forests and Strong Communities” video that puts a spotlight on the vital role wood packaging plays in our communities.

NWPCA collaborated with leading forest conservation organizations to produce this video. Participating in this project were Tom Martin, President and CEO, The American Forest Foundation; Larry Selzer, President and CEO, The Conservation Fund; Jay Farrell, Executive Director, The National Association of State Foresters; Carlton Owen, President and CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities; and Vicki Christiansen, Interim Chief, U.S. Forest Service.

“We’re proud of the work of our members in supporting the missions of these conservation organizations, providing economic and employment opportunities in rural communities, and improving the health of our nation’s forests,” said Brent McClendon, CAE, National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) President and CEO.

“The wood packaging industry is a critical player in advancing the health of our forests because they use the small diameter wood for making pallets that cannot be used in higher end products,” stated, Carlton Owen, President & CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities. “Without markets for that low value material, we can’t move our forests to a healthier, more resilient condition.”

The 4-minute video is a project of Nature’s Packaging®, a North American initiative to promote the use of wood-based packaging to users seeking sustainable, responsible and economical packaging solutions. View the YouTube Video.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL WOODEN PALLET & CONTAINER ASSOCIATION

CONTACT

Annette Ferri
Vice President of Communications
703.519.6104 ext. 207
Email

PALLET DESIGN SYSTEM ADDS NEW LANGUAGES

March 4, 2018/in NEWS/by Annette Ferri

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE PALLET DESIGN SYSTEM™ ADDS NEW LANGUAGES, BECOMES THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE OF PALLET DESIGN

INDUSTRY STANDARD SOFTWARE NOW PROVIDES PALLET SPECIFICATIONS AND ANALYSIS RESULTS IN ENGLISH, DUTCH, FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, PORTUGUESE, SPANISH AND SWEDISH.

ALEXANDRIA VA, March 2, 2018 – The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) has released an updated version of the Pallet Design System™, PDS v.5.4©, that generates pallet specifications and analysis results in the following languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.

Global demand for the most efficient, cost-effective, and safe pallet is drawing pallet manufacturers and pallet users to PDS, leading NWPCA to incorporate additional languages and further solidify PDS as the global standard for unit load pallet design. NWPCA President and CEO Brent McClendon states, “Adding new languages to PDS not only supports our rapid global expansion, but also provides a significant value to our diverse user-profile in North America.”

Shane Thompson, NWPCA’s Board Chair added, “These specific language selections fit seamlessly with our international membership, and the international flow of pallets. NWPCA and The Pallet Foundation investments in PDS, totaling nearly $1.5 million over the next two years, further solidify PDS as the international language for pallet design.”

PDS is the leading global pallet design software that designs the optimum pallet by scientifically determining the safe load carrying capacity, performance and material quantity needed. With the release of PDS v.5.4©, Users have the option to enter the design details, and view or print, in any of the languages for: pallet specification sheet, 2-D and 3-D pallet drawings, unit load specifications and drawings, pallet analysis results, and pallet production order.

CONTACT

Brad Gething, PhD
Director of Science & Technology Integration
Phone: 703.519.6104 Ext. 215
Email

ABOUT THE NATIONAL WOODEN PALLET & CONTAINER ASSOCIATION

The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) is the largest organization of wood packaging professionals in the world, with more than 670 company members in 28 countries.

ABOUT PALLET DESIGN SYSTEM™

The Pallet Design System™ software provides fully engineered and safe pallet designs, delivered in a professional manner. Over 440 major pallet manufacturers in 30 countries around the world use PDS to create 3-D designs that are comprehensive, detailed and efficient. PDS is a proprietary software of the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association. Click for more information on PDS.