Circular Economy:
The Pallets Yard plays a key role within the Circular Economy to preserve the environment through the continuous recovery, repair, reclaim and reuse of second-hand pallets.
Recover:
‘Recovery’ reflects our company’s proactive retrieval of reusable second-hand pallets, from mainly local West London firms and within the M25 area. This practice provides us with pallets that we sell to our customers. In addition, it also helps our suppliers by reducing their storage needs, thereby freeing up valuable storage space.
‘Recovery’ is, therefore, the first step in the circular nature of our business, as we collect and reuse second-hand pallets that might otherwise end up in landfill.
Repair:
The average lifespan of a wooden pallet is approximately eight years. The second step in the circular nature of our business activity is to prolong the usefulness of pallets, thereby minimising wood waste. To achieve this, our dedicated team continuously repairs and refurbishes damaged and faulty wooden pallets at our on-site pallet repair workshop.
Reclaim:
During the repair process, we salvage and stock unused timber to help repair other broken pallets. As such, reclaiming pallets promotes sustainable business practices by minimising wood waste through the conservation and maximisation of existing resources, whilst reducing the environmental impact.
Reuse:
One of the fundamental tenets of the Circular Economy is the ‘reusage’ of resources. This practice fosters sustainability by reducing the need for virgin raw materials, minimising waste, and lessening the environmental footprint linked to the manufacturing, recycling, and/or disposal of products. The Pallets Yard contributes to this principle through our ongoing repair and reuse of second hand pallets, to meet our clients’ daily business needs, and avoid landfill.
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Repurpose:
Pallet wood is durable, strong and versatile, making it an ideal, reasonably inexpensive and popular choice of material for furniture makers and DIY enthusiasts. We receive many enquiries from people looking for pallet wood to build fences, decks, raised garden beds and planters, indoor and outdoor furniture and other creative projects. In this way, pallets are given a new purpose, and their lifespan is extended. Click on the following link to read about pallets being repurposed into tables for a children’s party: https://thepalletsyard.co.uk/diy-projects/.
Recycle:
The Pallet Yard often collects broken and damaged pallets that can be reclaimed as parts for the repair of other broken pallets. However, some of the broken wood will be beyond use. This wood waste is redirected to recycling companies, and eventually transformed (recycled) into valuable resources, such as wood chippings, garden mulch and biomass.
Embracing the principles of the Circular Economy empowers us to extend the lifespan of a pallet, optimise waste reduction, and enhance resource efficiency. This in turn helps diminish our environmental footprint, whilst bolstering the sustainability of our business.
The very essence of our day-to-day operations support our clients and suppliers by increasing their carbon savings, fostering energy efficiency, and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
As such, our commitment to the principles of the Circular Economy has far-reaching benefits, both for our business and the wider community.
Wilson James Ltd Statement
Wilson James was introduced to The Pallets Yard through Heathrow Procurement following a meeting at the local Chambers of Commerce. This led to collaboration across one of our sustainability initiatives, driving the re-use of wooden pallets. Their dedication to business development made it effortless to support their journey, resulting in improved carbon accounting, reporting, and their value proposition as a business.
Now an approved supplier to Wilson James and part of Team Heathrow, the partnership has showcased the value that comprehensive support can provide, and a successful re-use pilot scheme pointed the way to more efficient operations. We remain highly optimistic about the future of this partnership and the positive impact it can have on both sustainability and efficiency.