Many things come to mind when we think about Canada: our gorgeous lakes and mountains, diverse and vibrant cities, vast forests, and—we’d like to think—environmental record. However, we haven’t quite merited that last one. In a 2009 study (the most recent year available), Canada ranked last
out of 17 industrialized nations when it came to waste generation.

In Ontario, cities generate 12 million tons of waste each year. Only a quarter of this amount manages to avoid the landfill. While municipal recycling initiatives, like recycling pick-up, are regulated locally, industry standards for recycling are governed at the provincial level. The diversion (recycling) rate for industry materials is, according to Statistics Canada, only at 13%. The main cause of this low number is a lack of markets for the raw secondary material.

However, things are set to change and have been moving in the other direction steadily for the past two years. In 2015, Ontario passed the Waste Diversion Transition Act, which affects both personal municipal waste generation as well as the industrial sector. One section of the Act, Section 56, actually refers to wood pallet production specifically as “transport packaging.” So what does this mean for Canadian lumber and the wood pallet industry as a whole? The Act states that this will be one area of industry that will begin to see increased monitoring. In fact, the wood pallet industry has already made impressive strides towards landfill waste diversion, with efforts such as pallet pooling the food and beverage industry. The main challenge going forward will be that of data management: there is currently insufficient information regarding where pallets end up, and when. We know that most wood pallets, at the end of their lives, continue on as bio-energy, soil-enhancers or particle board. The next step we must take together is ensuring the proof is readily available.

At Pallet Management Group, however, we see this as both a challenge and an opportunity: selling and buying recycled wood pallets allows us to meet your industry needs while contributing to Ontario’s ongoing efforts towards improved recycling and reduced municipal waste. When you order recycled pallets from Pallet Management Group, you can be certain that they will meet the most exacting standards. All our retrieved pallets are repaired to suit your needs and remain cost effective, and all our products in stock are tested and available for immediate delivery based on your specifications. We have an on-time delivery rate of over 97%, so you will not have to sacrifice time or your budget in order to remain environmentally conscious. In fact, our sustained relationships with Fortune 500 companies allow us to keep vast stocks of recycled pallets; so choosing Pallet Management Group for your recycled pallets could be the cost-saving practice you have been looking for.

For more information on our recycled pallets, or any service we offer, contact Pallet Management Group today.