Reusing supply chain pallets essential to sustainability goals, says NAPD Chair

The Chairman of the National Association of Pallet Distributors (NAPD) has called for supply chain businesses to ensure they have a ‘reuse first’ policy in place for pallets.

As new legislation will be introduced in the UK and EU in 2024, environmental reporting will be mandatory for large businesses and is expected for SMEs by 2026. NAPD Chairman Paul Tait said the many companies that supply products such as food, drink, and pharmaceuticals can make the transition more straightforward by reusing their pallets, which will cut the carbon impact of their supply chains.

“Reuse is a central part of a circular economy and enables businesses to make sizeable savings in their emissions and move closer towards their increasing sustainability obligations,” said Tait. “Wooden pallets are a naturally sustainable product and companies that reuse them in their supply chains extend the environmental benefits further.”

Used pallets are exempt from packaging waste regulations, so businesses using them also cut down administration and cost.

Saleh Hijazi, press officer for NAPD, said: “With regulations including the Sustainability Disclosure Standards (SDS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the UK, and CSRD in Europe, coming into force in the months ahead, it’s imperative that everyone involved in goods supply chains works together to mitigate environmental impact and make businesses greener.

“Sustainability-focused strategies for supply chains are no longer a ‘nice-to-have’; they are essential to meeting legislative obligations and the demands of our customers.”

NAPD is the UK association for companies that repair pallets for reuse to a high standard. Its members are bound by a code a conduct and provide additional supply chain services to customers.