Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1161332
F or some time now, the mantra "wood is good" has been our tagline at the NWPCA. We have used the Pallet Design System™ (PDS) for years to show the strength characteristics, durability and general performance of the wooden pallet … but what about the environmental benefits? Well, we are soon going to be able to quantify those benefits. Through Pallet Foundation funding, the NWPCA has teamed up with the USDA to produce an EPD – Environmental Product Declaration – that will, through third-party verification, quantify the environmental impact and sustainability of the wooden pallet. The wooden pallet will be the first and only shipping platform in the marketplace to have its own EPD. The first step in the process was to do a Life Cycle Assessment survey or LCA. In order to meet the LCA/EPD requirements, we needed 10% of the new pallet annual production within the U.S. represented as well as 10% of the recycled annual production. We got the data and have just started to crunch the numbers. I found the survey to be very informative and well worth the time it took to fill out. Thank you to those that participated. Our company, Williamsburg Millwork Corporation has been in the pallet business since 1941. Over the years we have seen a great deal of change, not only within the pallet industry, but also changes in the requirements from our customers. Frequently, customers in the U.S. as well as internationally are requesting some type of environmental declaration or sustainability verification. Our industry believes that the wooden pallet is the most environmentally friendly and sustainable product, but until now we have had nothing concrete to back us up. With the completion of the EPD, the industry will now have the tool necessary to meet these customer demands. We, as a manufacturer, will be able to present the customer with an accurate assessment of their pallet's impact on the environment and the benefits of using wood. As competing products try to move in to our marketplace, we will be able to provide our customers with all the information that they need – from PDS to EPD – to make an educated and informed decision on the right shipping platform for their business, and it will be the wooden pallet. Once again the NWPCA has raised the bar to a new level for our industry. Remember, wood is good and we can prove it! Sincerely, PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL WOODEN PALLET & CONTAINER ASSOCIATION BOARD OFFICERS Chairman Jordan Piland, Atlas Pallets/ A Div. of Williamsburg Millwork Corp Chairman-Elect Frank Shean, Valley Pallet. Past Chair Larry Howell, Cottondale Wood Products Secretary/Treasurer Mike Hachtman, Relogistics Services Director at Large Carolyn Beach-Skinner, Westside Pallet President/CEO Brent J. McClendon, CAE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Peter Berry, Berry Industrial Dominick Davi, Greenway Products & Services Kathleen Dietrich, Commercial Lumber & Pallet David Grimes, Pallet Resources of NC Bernie Kamps, Kamps, Inc. Bryan Kesting, Madison County Wood Products Jeff Lewis, Atlanta Pallets & Services Joe O'Brien, Industrial Pallet Shane Thompson, WestWind Logistics Howe Wallace, PalletOne Nick Wenner, Pallet Service Corp. International Director Mike Vrugteveen, Niagara Pallet & Recyclers Associate's Representative Randy Panko, Wood-Mizer International Director Emeritus Jan Fredell, Fredells Travaru AB NWPCA 6 PalletCentral • July-August 2019 palletcentral.com 2019 SEASON SPONSORS Kiln-Direct.com tel: 910-259-9794 | kiln-direct.com Mid Continent Steel and Wire 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 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Raising the Bar for Industry Jordan Piland, Atlas Pallets/A Div. of Williamsburg Millwork Corp. NWPCA Chairman