For a number of years, products from two of Able’s overseas supplying factories were stacked onto  cardboard pallets and then loaded into shipping containers. This practice enabled efficient unloading of containers and ease of redispatch. 

A recent  analysis of the practice has highlighted two negative side effects; suboptimal container utilisation and a significant unnecessary use of resources in the form of cardboard and stetch wrap. The cardboard pallets are solidly constructed and the newer models employ a honeycomb lattice that and can hold over 500Kg.

Able have advised the supplying plants that the cardboard pallets are to be eliminated and that cartons be loose stacked into containers.

This action is reaping  environmental benefits as follows;

- A saving of over 600 cardboard pallets and top caps per annum.

- To make one tonne of paper out of virgin material requires over 90,000 litres of water *. Although cardboard pallets may require less water during manufacturing than paper, the weight of cardboard pallets that Able has been using is in access of 4 tonnes per annum. The water saving achieved through curtailing their use could be in excess of 200,000 litres per year. We will contact our ecological advisors ecovantage to firm up these estimates.

      * Paper and Carboard Fact Sheet, Clean Up Australia, September 2009, www.cleanup.org.au

- By halting the use of cardboard pallets, Able will  free up shipping space equivalent to seven 20 foot containers per year. The energy required to ship seven 20 foot containers from Asia to Melbourne is saved.                             

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink