Burning wooden pallets on Bonfire Night costs the UK economy millions of pounds each year, according to a pallet producer.
Pooling Partners says annual village bonfires that use wooden pallets to bulk out their displays are costing the UK economy millions of pounds.
The Coventry company’s UK & Ireland director Phil Storer said people do not have “money to burn in pre-Brexit Britain”.
“Think of the humble pallet, happily carrying its heavy load through the supply chain before it can be reinvigorated and start the process again - only to find that its life’s work is tragically cut short - for all of the forestry, manufacturing and repairing effort to go up in flames,” he said.
“I am the last person in the world to be a killjoy, but a village bonfire can be a massive pile of bank notes awaiting destruction.”
“They may not be pretty, but our particular circular economy cannot function without the humble pallet and to see such waste from perfectly reusable products is not only damaging to businesses, but contributes to increased costs of everyday goods,” added Storer.
“It is cheaper to repair them than make new pallets, as well as being more sustainable for the environment.”
The average cost of a new pallet can be between £8 and £10 while it costs only a fraction of this to repair them and return them to the supply chain.
“As Brexit approaches and securing worldwide new trade agreements will be key, then our cost competitiveness is critical and the humble pallet has an important role to play in reducing waste,” said Storer.
“So the next time you see a pallet awaiting its fate in celebrating the demise of Guy Fawkes, look again. It’s not an old wooden pallet that has been unloved and abandoned, but a vital cog in the circular economy underpinning our supply chains. A little education and forward planning is needed to save the essential pallet from the flames.”
No comments yet