Bradfords and Tarmac trial sustainable pallet scheme

Companies begin first end-to-end trial of pioneering new circular economy pallet reuse scheme

BRADFORDS Building Supplies have taken their first delivery of Tarmac bagged cement loaded on green Pallet LOOP pallets into their Glastonbury branch, kicking off the first end-to-end trial of a new circular economy pallet reuse scheme for the UK construction sector.

After individually confirming the quality and durability of LOOP’s distinctive green pallets, Bradfords and Tarmac are now trialling their use to move goods between their businesses and out to a select number of Bradfords customers across Somerset.

Founded on the principles of recover, repair, reuse, The Pallet LOOP is designed to help the construction industry meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and eliminate avoidable packaging waste from the building material supply chain.

Reinventing how pallets are used, The Pallet LOOP offers a range of 100% FSC pallets that have been purpose designed to carry various weights and types of material and engineered to be used multiple times. Easy to identify, the pallets all follow the same design standards, making them safer to move, manage and stack, while helping to maximize lorry distribution capacity.

The Pallet LOOP operates using a returnable pallet charge (RPC) that incentivises reuse. By attaching a value to the pallet, which is refunded at the point of return, The Pallet LOOP provides a financial motivation for individuals and companies to put pallets back into the LOOP, rather than skipping or scrapping them after just one use.

This positive shift in behaviour will greatly reduce the burden that pallet production currently places on the environment and forests. Switching to The Pallet LOOP also has the potential to save the sector significant amounts of money on waste costs.

Giles Bradford, head of sustainability at Bradfords Building Supplies, said: ‘We see examples of both unsafe pallets and pallet waste every day across our sector. They’re a crucial enabler for the construction industry, but the evidence of stacks of pallets clogging merchant branches or being skipped on site is only too apparent. It’s important for us to assess environmental sustainability at every stage of the supply chain. Trialling The Pallet LOOP is the latest step in our efforts to reduce our own environmental impact but looks to support a much wider benefit across the sector.

‘We are delighted to be supporting the initiative and looking forward to seeing how the trial progresses. Developers and trades that end up in receipt of the distinctive LOOP pallets during the Bradfords/Tarmac trial should either return them to us on their next visit or look to load it on to a Bradfords vehicle the next time one visits their site, after which the refundable pallet charge will be credited.’

Garry Gregory, packed products director at Tarmac, said: ‘We’re proud to be part of this UK construction industry first with our involvement in the end-to-end trial of the new pallet reuse scheme. Pallets are a staple within the industry and are heavily relied upon to store and distribute construction goods and materials. The Pallet LOOP reuse scheme is key to reducing waste and the demand for natural resources, ensuring we use and supply pallets in a greener, more sustainable way. We are looking forward to seeing how the trial progresses and hope to see a successful roll out of the scheme in the months ahead.’

Paul Lewis, founder of The Pallet LOOP, said: ‘We are delighted that Tarmac and Bradfords have initiated the first end-to-end trial of our pallets. Both companies are forward-thinking in their approach to sustainability and have clearly recognized the value that a circular economy pallet reuse scheme will have, not just for their businesses – but also their customers, the wider industry, and the environment.

‘We’ve spent the last year speaking to key players throughout the construction sector, explaining the simplicity of our model and how easily it can be integrated into the sector. Tarmac and Bradfords are now proving that in practice – putting the LOOP to the test. We look forward to working with both companies on this trial as we plan the wider roll out of The Pallet LOOP in early 2023.’

To service their circular economy pallet reuse scheme, The Pallet LOOP operates a network of collection sites and repair hubs nationwide. Pallets are taken back to the nearest site where they re-enter the pallet pool – after being checked for damage. Once The Pallet LOOP is fully operational in early 2023, the pallet collection process will work the same way as in this trial.

Smaller developers and trades will be able to return pallets to the merchant branch that delivered them or call them to discuss the possibility of backhauling when additional deliveries are made to site or vehicles are in proximity. Larger developers and principal contractors will be able to book a collection slot for multiple pallets to be picked up directly by The Pallet LOOP.