British Gypsum uses approximately 1.6 million single-use white timber pallets every year; switch to a circular pallet re-use scheme is set to radically reduce its waste stream and help it achieve ecological targets.
It also hopes to help customers reduce their waste output too.
Pallet Loop began in 2019 but never quite got off the ground despite several leading construction contractors and builders’ merchants signing up to the scheme. They liked the idea but wouldn’t pay the deposit.
Now the scheme has been relaunched (as previously reported) under new ownership and with a new operating model.
British Gypsum managing director Dean O’Sullivan said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with the Pallet Loop as we aim to radically cut unnecessary waste. Pallets left behind after products have been removed have for a long time created a challenge, with many being unsustainably disposed of at a heavy environmental cost. By joining forces with the Pallet Loop, we aim to significantly reduce this practice.”
British Gypsum, a Saint-Gobain company, will roll out the Pallet Loop scheme in two stages, with the distinctively green Loop pallets scheduled to be in circulation from May for its bagged plaster and accessories. From July, its plasterboard range, based on pallet size, will begin to move to Loop pallets, resulting in 70% of its products delivered on reusable pallets once the scheme is fully operational. It is hoped the remaining 30% will move across during a later phase of the project.
Pallet Loop founder Paul Lewis said: “At Loop, our mission is to transform the way building materials move and we are incredibly excited that British Gypsum, as a market leader, is partnering with us to promote a culture of pallet reuse.
“Using our service, merchants, distributors, principal contractors, and house-building companies will be able to book pallet collections, which can take place from as little as 72 hours later. There will also be a payback of up to £4 available for every green coloured pallet they put back in the Loop. Our service is a real step change that is set to deliver substantial benefits across the UK construction supply chain. We can’t wait to get our Loop pallets into circulation and look forward to other building material manufacturers following British Gypsum in adopting our circular pallet reuse model.”
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