To support World Ocean Day on Tuesday 8th June, Exporta demonstrates a commitment to the environment via their Eco Pallet range and free plastic pallet collection and recycling scheme.
Despite confusing and often conflicting media coverage, plastic isn’t always a terrible thing for the environment. In fact, it can even be more beneficial than natural products when it is correctly derived from sustainable sources. It’s how we use it and what we do with it afterwards that makes the real difference.
“The plastic pallet that’s greener than wood”
Polypropylene is the most easily and efficiently recyclable of all plastics, with polypropylene products able to contain a higher percentage of recycled plastic. Polypropylene can also be recycled over and over again, whereas other plastics are very limited in this respect. 98% of Exporta Eco Pallets are made from recycled plastic and 100% of them can be recycled again at the end of their useful life.
If you compare this to wood, using timber as an example, this is a natural product from sustainably managed softwood forests, but its usable life is significantly shorter than that of polypropylene. Timber pallets crack and splinter, the joints loosen, and the wood can mould and rot. Once they become irreparable, the only other use of them on a commercial scale is to be broken down for biofuel, and that can happen only once.
Eco Grading of Plastic Pallets
To make it easier to understand the environmental impact levels made by the plastic pallets Exporta produce, and businesses use, they have introduced an eco-grading system.
1. Exporta Eco pallets are made from new plastic but can be recycled at the end of their useful life.
2. Exporta Eco Plus pallets are made with recycled plastic and can be recycled at the end of their life.
3. Exporta Eco Max pallets offer the ultimate choice in eco-friendly plastic pallets. Made from recycled plastic, they can be repaired to extend their useful life and then recycled.
Free Plastic Pallet Collection and Recycling
Even plastic pallets eventually wear down and break, but while many recycling companies might accept plastic pallets, few, if any, offer a free collection service.
Exporta teamed up with the recycling company, Plastic Expert, to offer this extra incentive towards making recyclable plastic pallets an environmental milestone for 2021.
Planning Sustainable Storage and Logistics Solutions
The Free Plastic Pallet Collection & Recycling Scheme is just one small part of Exporta’s environmental agenda for 2021. It is drafted to help businesses make realistic, achievable commitments towards a more sustainable storage and logistics sector in the immediate future.
