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September-October 2018

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W hat's the toughest question you've received from a customer lately? Our goals these past couple of years, and what The Pallet Foundation is currently funding, are projects to answer tough environmental or social responsibility questions and provide you the resources you need when dealing with your customers. We're fortunate as the more we study wood packaging, the more it proves how wood wins. Carbon Calculators, Landfill Avoidance, and USDA BioPreferred: Supplying Data Critical for Corporate Social Responsibility Reports Due to strength, durability, reliability, customization, and safety performance, wood pallets are trusted by America's shipping companies and the global supply chain network. Using wood is the environmentally friendly choice. We've known this, but several tools help your customers specifically understand how using wood reduces carbon emissions. One specific tool is a carbon calculator. Based on the EPA Waste Reduction Model, the calculator is available on Nature's Packaging's website (naturespackaging.org). It is the most used part of the site and allows you a way to provide critical data for your customers' sustainability reports. It's a great story when you can tell your customer they saved X-amount of carbon X-number of cars off the road. Try the tool for yourself and share the data with your customers. Another great story in our industry relates to landfill avoidance and recycling. The Pallet Foundation funded a Virginia Tech study on the disposal of wood pallets and found that 95% of wooden pallets are now being recycled, far exceeding any other packaging medium. The full release and report is available at palletcentral.com. Many of NWPCA's members are finding this report useful in their discussions with customers as they study the life cycle of alternative materials. We are also proud to have achieved group Biobased certification last year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wooden pallets designed by the Pallet Design System™ (PDS) are included in the USDA BioPreferred® Program and wood pallet manufacturers that use PDS can stamp their pallets with the USDA Biobased product label. USDA BioPreferred recognition of wood pallets is just another third-party validation of the environmental benefits of wood packaging. I encourage you to use all of these tools to help tell our industry's great story. Let me know the toughest environmental or social responsibility questions you've received from a customer, as I'm proud of this industry and am confident in the answers we can help provide. Sincerely, P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E N A T I O N A L W O O D E N P A L L E T & C O N T A I N E R A S S O C I A T I O N BOARD OFFICERS Chairman Larry Howell, Cottondale Wood Products Chairman-Elect Jordan Piland, Atlas Pallets/ A Div. of Williamsburg Millwork Corp. Past Chair Shane Thompson, WestWind Logistics Secretary/Treasurer Frank Shean, Valley Pallet Director at Large Mike Hachtman, Relogistics Services. President/CEO Brent J. McClendon, CAE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Carolyn Beach-Skinner, Westside Pallet Peter Berry, Berry Industrial Kathleen Dietrich, Commercial Lumber & Pallet David Grimes, Pallet Resources of NC Bernie Kamps, Kamps, Inc. Jeff Lewis, Atlanta Pallets & Services Joe O'Brien, Industrial Pallet Rob Trexler, Pasadena Skid & Pallet Howe Wallace, PalletOne, Bartow, FL Nick Wenner, Pallet Service Corp. Jimmy Wilson, Bay Wood Products International Director Mike Vrugteveen, Niagara Pallet & Recyclers Associate's Representative Jeff Williams, PRS Group, Inc. International Director Emeritus Jan Fredell, Fredells Travaru AB NWPCA 6 PalletCentral • September-October 2018 palletcentral.com 2018 SEASON SPONSORS Kiln-Direct.com tel: 910-259-9794 | kiln-direct.com Mid Continent Nail Corporation tel: 800-867-6245 | mcswusa.com Pallet Machinery Group tel: 540-644-9220 | palletmachinery.com Pendu Manufacturing, Inc. tel: 717-354-4348 | pendu.com Profile Technology, Inc. tel: 800-369-4242 | profiletech.com Rotochopper, Inc. tel: 320-548-3586 | rotochopper.com Smart Products tel: 800-401-0099 | smartproductsinc.com Smith Sawmill Service tel: 800-598-6344 | smithsawmillservice.com Universal Fastener Outsourcing tel: 800-352-0028 | 911-nails.com Viking Engineering & Development tel: 800-328-2403 | vikingeng.com PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Critical Conversations and Tools You Can Use Brent J. McClendon, CAE NWPCA President/CEO

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