A lifecycle assessment conducted on behalf of CHEP found that the Orlando, Fla.-based pallet pooling company’s products have less of an impact on the environment than other wooden pallets or plastic pool pallets.
The study was conducted by Franklin and Associates, a division of Eastern Research Group, and was peer reviewed by David Allen, Gertz Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Resources at the University of Texas.
The study found that CHEP pallets:
- generate 48% less solid waste than plastic pool pallets and 50% less than other wooden pallets;
- consume 23% less total energy than plastic pooled pallets and 19% less than other wooden pallets; and
- generate 14% less greenhouse gas emissions than plastic pooled pallets.
Other than the familiar blue paint job, how are CHEP’s wood pallets different than other wood pallets in the supply chain?
Candice Herndon, CHEP’s director of environment and regulatory affairs, said the company’s pallets are designed to last longer than other wood pallets and are sturdier because CHEP has higher specifications for its materials.
CHEP pallets also are subject to regular inspection and repairs at more than 500 service centers worldwide, Herndon said.
The company has roughly 300 million pallets and shipping containers in circulation in 46 countries.
The company launched a Web page earlier this year — www.chep.com/knowthefacts — that helps customers calculate the benefit of CHEP’s pooling products, compared to other wood pallets or plastic pallets, in their supply chain.
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