Pallet LCA: A Good Place to Start Is Looking into the Mirror

The European Pallet Association (EPAL) recently announced the results of a life cycle analysis (LCA) that found the wood EPAL pallet to have an environmental impact much smaller than that of a plastic pallet. The research, conducted by Polytechnic of Milan, concluded that when considering the combined impact of carbon emissions and the use of soil and fossil fuels an EUR/EPAL exchangeable pallet has an impact five times smaller than a plastic pallet. The study found that the timber used in a single pallet would have absorbed from the atmosphere 18.4kg of carbon. This material is stored and kept out of the atmosphere until the end of the pallet’s useful life. In the final analysis, however, the most sustainable pallet is the one managed most sustainably. Pallet managers must look into the mirror. Read more.