Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/713205
22 PalletCentral • March-April 2016 palletcentral.com to the USDA BioPreferred program. Getting NWPCA member products qualified to list as BioPreferred will require more research – including a study of the product lifecycle of pallets – something the NWPCA and the FPL have already begun immediately because of the signing of the MOU. Launched five years ago, the BioPreferred certification program has pumped $369 billion in revenues into the U.S. economy and supports more than 4 million U.S. jobs, according to the USDA. Currently, approximately 2,500 products carry the USDA BioPreferred label in more than 100 product categories. "Small businesses and global companies alike can continue to harness the power of America's farms and forests to create new and innovative bio-based products that are used all around the world," says Tom Vilsack, USDA Secretary. Fortunately, wood as a construction material already has a lot going for it environmentally – it's 100% environmentally biodegradable, FPL's Ritter says. McClendon concluded, "At NWPCA we are obviously excited about the joint partnership. The MOU will open new avenues for exchange of innovative ideas between the two organizations and create solid research that benefits the wooden pallet and wooden packaging industry, and its natural sustainability and winning durability position for supply chain logistics in the modern world." PC MOU Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan. He may be reached at 646-233-4089. Email: joe@joedysart.com or visit www.joedysart.com. "This new working arrangement [MOU] brings robust research and the scientific clout this industr y needs to address today's and tomorrow's critical issues – many of which are front-and-center in our Strategic Plan." — Steve Mazza, NWPCA Chairman