If you’ve been reading some of our recent blog posts, you might have noticed how often we talk about reusing wood pallets for alternative purposes. It’s a fact that wood packaging products have the highest rate of recycling than any other form of packaging. As a natural resource, the wood pallet is considered sustainable, as it requires less energy to produce and—since it’s made from unused lumber from the timber industry—it does not have a carbon footprint.

Sustainability matters to the wood pallet and packaging industry. Here are some ways our industry is promoting earth-friendly practices:

Protecting Forests with ISPM-15

 We recently talked about the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures or ISPM-15 in our blog “Facts About Pests Affecting the Wood Packaging Industry,” in which we discuss how the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) regulates the exportation of potentially compromised wood products. Its main purpose is to ensure that wood packaging is heat-treated to reduce the spread of pests that can devastate forests and wildlife.

Across North America, companies in the wood packaging industry work alongside government bodies and plant health organizations to support ongoing research for the protection of our forests.

Anti-Deforestation

Wood packaging is perhaps the most sustainable packaging material being used in the trade and shipping industries. But many people are under the impression that the use of wood pallets contributes to deforestation and the destruction of natural wildlife habitat. In reality, wood pallets are made from the leftover wood that’s used in manufacturing furniture and building materials.

Wood pallets are also made from other recycled wood products, and when they’ve reached the end of their lifespan, the wood is usually processed into other wood products, such as mulch, particle board, and animal bedding.

A Sustainable Choice

Compared to plastic or other human-made materials, wood is a practical, sustainable, and renewable choice that is biodegradable and leaves behind zero waste. Heat-treating wood to be ISPM-15 compliant is non-toxic, which means that pallets can be used for agricultural purposes without the threat of toxic leaching or the spreading of pests. And because wood pallets are continually transforming into different products, our industry’s packaging is capable of 100% landfill avoidance.

Pallet Management Group is proud to be part of a sustainable industry. For more questions about our products or environmental philosophy, contact us today. Do you need to order wood pallets? Request a free quote!