Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1332064
14 PalletCentral • January-February 2021 palletcentral.com EPD Spelled Out EPDs provide consumers and professionals with transparent and product-specific environmental information through an independent validation from a third- party organization. A critical component of the wooden pallet EPD study is a life cycle assessment, measuring the impacts of a wooden pallet's product stages of gathering, transporting and manufacturing raw materials, the use and repair of the pallet, as well as its end of life usage. When considering its life cycle, wooden pallets can have a potential net carbon positive impact. Through the unique properties of wood, carbon offsets may be achieved by the reuse of pallet materials and substituting wood fuel from pallet waste (e.g., unusable pallets) for natural gas. "The findings of the life cycle assessment and subsequent EPD are an affirmation of our belief that wooden pallets are truly nature's packaging," said Bob Wenner, president of Pallet Service Corporation. "On top of UL's Product Category Rules (PCRs) for wooden pallets published last year, this EPD establishes wooden pallets as a leader of environmental stewardship and provides a tool for pallet users to measure their own impacts." UL's PCR was the first of its kind for shipping materials and is used to standardize how environ- mental impacts are determined. This research also complements an independent study conducted at the Pennsylvania State University, published in early 2020 in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, which indicates wooden pallets have a significantly lower carbon footprint than plastic pallets during their life cycle. "UL applauds the efforts of NWPCA and the Pallet Foundation to develop a PCR and now issue an EPD for wooden pallets to better understand the environmental impact they have," said Alberto Uggetti, vice president and general manager of UL's environment and sustainability division. "The reusable nature of wooden pallets makes them a more circular, sustainable form of reusable packaging, and with this EPD, manufacturers will be able to communicate the impacts of their products with more transparency and confidence." This EPD solidifies wooden pallets as the clear sustainable choice for supply chains across industries. "This industry-wide wood pallet Environmental Product Declaration is not only a first in the supply chain, it is a major step toward scientifically validating the benefits of wood pallets," said Brent McClendon, President and CEO of NWPCA. "Beyond anecdotal evidence, this research supports the sustainability of wood. The results are something that all wood pallet companies can trumpet to their customer base as a new tool in their toolbelt." NWPCA Member UL Logo Strict Usage There are strict guidelines on the use of the UL mark that must be adhered to. Because this is an industry-wide EPD, companies that promote the EPD mark and program should be clear that their products are part of the industry-wide EPD and not their specific products. UL requires that all uses of the mark be sent to ULEmarketing@ul.com for approval so they can confirm that it's used clearly and appropriately. Visit palletcentral.com/epd for all the guidelines of where and how the mark can be used. As you use this in your marketing, please email webpage links and marketing pieces to Annette Ferri, VP, Communications, at aferri@palletcentral.com, so that we can share how members are using it. Acknowledgment We would like to thank the hundreds of industry members who volunteered to take part in the survey, as well as the NWPCA Science and Technology Advisory Council, who played an integral role in developing the Life Cycle Assessment scope and parameters. This research was funded in part by the NWPCA, the Pallet Foundation and the USDA Forest Service. The support of research related to the wood pallet industry is greatly appreciated. "This EPD establishes wooden pallets as a leader of environmental stewardship and provides a tool for pallet users to measure their own impacts." – Bob Wenner, President of Pallet Service Corporation Resource Links EPD Full Report (UL) https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.palletcentral.com/resource/ resmgr/industry_resources/EPD-report-wood-pallets.pdf LCA Report (US Forest Service, Forest Products Lab) http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1310254-life-cycle- assessment-of-wooden-pallet-production Product Category Rule Guidance for Wooden Pallets https://palletfoundation.org/ul-publishes-first-product- category-rule-for-wooden-pallets/ EPD for Wood Pallets, including its methodology and data, is found at NWPCA's website, https://www.palletcentral.com/page/epd Life Cycle Assessment https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrp/fpl_rp707.pdf Independent Study Published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, conducted at the Pennsylvania State University – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/abs/10.1111/jiec.12974