- The Pallet LOOP is now officially part of BSW Group – the UK’s largest integrated forestry and timber business. The move, which follows BSW’s acquisition of Scott Pallets, also sees The Pallet LOOP become a member of Binderholz – Europe’s leading timber processing operation.
- The Pallet LOOP will now be offering registered return partners – typically merchants, distributors, principal contractors, and housebuilding companies – a payback of up to £4 for every green pallet they put back in the LOOP.
On a mission to eliminate avoidable pallet waste in the UK construction sector, The Pallet LOOP provides a range of pallets that can be recovered, repaired, and reused alongside a nationwide pallet collection service. The business was founded by Paul and Ryan Lewis (formerly HLC Wood Products) in 2021 with backing from Scott Group Investments and will now complement the operations and capabilities within BSW Group – the UK’s largest integrated forestry and timber business.
Paul Lewis remains at the helm of The Pallet LOOP as Founder and Managing Director. He will work closely alongside his team to roll out an innovative business-to-business (B2B) pallet distribution and collection model that will shift the construction sector away from the current pallet practice of ‘deliver, distribute and discard’ to the more sustainable principles of ‘recover, repair, reuse.’
The pallet reuse scheme will be able to leverage BSW Group’s integrated supply chain capabilities, which span all aspects of timber production and processing, from seed innovation and tree nurseries to forestry management and harvesting, sawmilling, timber product manufacturing, and carbon offsetting. The move, which follows BSW’s acquisition of Scott Pallets, also sees The Pallet LOOP become a member of Binderholz – Europe’s leading timber processing operation.
PayBack Incentive Scheme Introduced to Stimulate Pallet Return
This news comes as The Pallet LOOP announces several other strategic changes that will help advance its roll-out, with its pallets due to enter the UK construction sector in the coming months. To incentivize returns, The Pallet LOOP will now be offering registered return partners – typically merchants, distributors, principal contractors, and housebuilding companies – a PayBack of up to £4 for every green pallet they put back in the LOOP. This financial incentive, which recognizes best practices, will be in addition to the waste-related cost savings that those who receive pallets (end users – including general builders) will gain from the service.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time at The Pallet LOOP,” said Paul Lewis, Founder and Managing Director of The Pallet LOOP. “We are on the cusp of delivering a widespread shift in how building materials are moved around the UK.
“With a range of green pallets that are engineered to be used again and again and a nationwide pallet collection service, The Pallet LOOP is designed to have a positive financial and environmental impact. We are grateful that BSW have recognised the inherent value in our model and delighted to be part of a fully integrated supply chain that is committed to unlocking the full potential of timber, sustaining long-term growth for the construction industry and building a more sustainable world.”
Less than 10% of Construction Sector Pallets Are Reused
“We’re delighted to welcome LOOP as a member of BSW and Binderholz,” added Mike Faulkner, Commercial Director at BSW Group. “A staggering 20m pallets are manufactured for the UK construction industry every year, but less than 10% of these are currently reused. As a major supplier into this sector, we want to do what we can to change this. Our values at BSW are aligned with those of LOOP, and we’re incredibly excited to drive positive change by incentivising customers to reduce waste and reuse pallets.
“We’ve already been impressed by the growth and commitment of the business and are keen to build on the great work that Paul and his team have started. LOOP perfectly slots into BSW’s circular business model and we can’t wait to get going.”
Further Information Pending
Further information about when The Pallet LOOP’s green pallets will enter the market will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, The Pallet LOOP is encouraging large housebuilders, merchants, distributors, and principal contractors to register for an account with the business so they can take advantage of the PayBack on offer as soon as green pallets reach merchant branches, distribution hubs and building sites.
In a further boost to The Pallet LOOP, Andy Williamson, former Commercial Director of SIG PLC, has joined the company as Director of Business Development. Andy joins The Pallet LOOP after working with the team for the last six months as a Non-Executive Director (NED).
“I’d like to thank Andy for his support and advocacy of our work,” Paul added. “It’s great to have him on board to help amplify our voice and progress conversations with key players throughout the construction sector about our circular economy scheme.”
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Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
