Roger Ballentine and Adam Pener – Thursday, June 8, 2017
Maybe it’s time for corporate sustainability to get a bit more boring. Rightfully so, bold commitments by leading companies. That’s to 100 percent renewable energy or zero waste garner headlines. But the durability (or perhaps the sustainability) of sustainability comes from business practices. Those that reduce environmental impacts while saving money.
Sometimes these measures are not especially sexy.
Consider the lowly shipping pallet. Millions of times a day. I mean companies receive and send goods loaded on pallets. Overwhelmingly, these pallets are made of wood. For they also only weigh about 50 pounds.
Logisticians know that space + weight = cost; sustainability experts know that space + weight = emissions.
What we have, therefore, is an opportunity for durable, sustainable change. Each year an estimated 10 billion loaded wood pallets are shipped just in the United States. In pallet weight alone, swapping out wood for corrugated pallets. I mean could reduce the amount of annual U.S. trucking weight by as much as 400 billion pounds. Then thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) by millions of metric tons annually.
As sustainability leaders such as IKEA have demonstrated. I mean companies that can direct suppliers to ship on lightweight, recyclable corrugated cardboard pallets. Doing so will save money. Also protect employees and reduce carbon footprints. Most importantly it can advance zero waste goals.
Pulling their weight
Before 2009, IKEA used almost exclusively wood pallets. Today, more than 98 percent of its global inbound and outbound shipments are on corrugated pallets. That’s cutting CO2e by more than 550,000 metric tons since 2012. Based on public and company reports. So we estimate that IKEA has saved billions of dollars through its global “Handling Material — No Wood” program. For that’s largely by shipping an estimated 1.44 billion fewer pounds each year. Thereby eliminating wood pallet disposal. Finally and realizing corrugated recycling revenue.
From 1991 to 2010, General Motors required suppliers to ship to its facilities on corrugated pallets. The program ended in the United States. However it continued in Mexico. That’s when a multinational wood pallet company convinced GM to switch. Thanks to extra-heavy (70-pound) wood pallets. So it seems that GM did not pay close attention to the impact. Especially the change it would have on emissions. Yet it was a different time. I mean and/or they failed to calculate the true enterprise. That’s the cost of switching back to wood pallets.
Zero Waste Doesn’t Mean Less Cash Back
Fortunately, the precedent- and game-changing numbers remain intact. So 62 GM facilities achieved “zero waste” status during this time frame.
In addition, GM also reported more than $2 billion in recycling revenue.
Also that’s revenue that surely has dropped off since the program’s termination.
Most important, as GM proved for 19 years, America’s companies (and universities, hospitals and government agencies) have a choice when it comes to what pallets. For they should all be delivered to their facilities. In many cases, turning the switch. All to corrugated requires little more than a letter to suppliers. That’s simply adding a few words to a supplier protocol or similar guidelines.
The case against corrugated
Leading U.S. retailers have argued that corrugated pallets are not sufficiently strong. It is true that corrugated pallet quality can vary. Yet some applications are not suitable. However, those issues are easily handled in spec-writing. The fact that IKEA ships and receives substantial loads on 36 million corrugated pallets per year. For that’s spanning five continents. It belies the “sturdiness” argument.
Others cite the costs that come with changes to materials handling and racking practices. This is often true. Also IKEA can attest that making such changes was a prudent investment.
Companies often point to per-pallet cost comparisons of wood versus corrugated. However a more complete analysis would factor in fuel savings. Also space optimization and recycling revenue. In addition, reduced injuries, operational efficiencies and less product damage. Finally disposal costs and perhaps even carbon value.
Major Retailers
Finally, major retailers fairly point out that they reuse wood pallets for shipments downstream. But that does not change the fact that it requires one truck to deliver 1,800 corrugated pallets to their point of use. Yet with 4.5 trucks to deliver the same number of wood pallets. I mean that it takes one truck to move 400 wood pallets away from the store post-use versus tossing corrugated pallets into the bailer. Also and that pallets remain one of the largest components of landfill waste.
Who needs retail?
A disappointing but honest appraisal is that even leading sustainability retailers such as Whole Foods are committed to systems. All that force Seventh Generation, General Mills and other sustainability leading suppliers to ship on wood pallets. Yet that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. But beyond retailers, sustainably minded companies can look upstream to advance carbon reduction and zero-waste initiatives.
Could Tesla revive the GM supplier directive
Did they ask if General Mills can direct that the tens of millions of empty corrugated cereal boxes. All delivered to its factories each year be shipped on corrugated pallets? Could Seventh Generation ask that empty plastic containers come on corrugated pallets?
And, maybe even easier, could sectors such as hospitality and medical facilities that rarely ship downstream save money and reduce upstream footprints by similarly requesting that suppliers use lightweight, recyclable pallets?
Change is hard.
It’s also the essence of corporate sustainability. Leading companies literally are changing the world through responsible sourcing. In addition, clean energy use, process efficiencies and many other innovations. That’s in business practices that yield social, environmental and economic benefit. There is still much low-hanging fruit to be harvested. However and the lowly pallet is still hanging on the tree. Finally and ready to be picked.
Adam Pener, President, Green Ox Pallet Technology
Original article link: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/sustainability-and-pallets-making-change-long-haul
Roger Ballentine President Green Strategies, Inc.
