Xella Netherlands switches to circular plastic pallets and saves 70 tons of CO2 annually

Xella Netherlands is taking an important step toward sustainability through a partnership with the Circular Plastic Alliance, the building materials trade, contractors and finishers. As the first construction manufacturer in the Netherlands, Xella is replacing traditional wooden pallets with pallets made of recycled plastic. These can be tracked everywhere via an RFID chip and can be reused again and again through a return system with blockchain technology.

According to a survey by Hibin, the trade association of all building materials dealers in the Netherlands, the wooden pallet is the most common reusable primary raw material in construction waste. Today, during the Circular Packaging initiative meeting organized by Hibin, Xella Netherlands presented a sustainable initiative as a solution to this problem. The company is the first major manufacturer in the construction industry to replace wooden pallets with recyclable plastic pallets. Using a digital return system, the pallets are collected and reused on construction sites. According to Ad Blokker, program manager at Hibin, this reduces the administrative burden of the building materials trade. "That's a win, because our process doesn't have to change, the administration reduces and the end result is much more sustainable."

Not waiting for legislation

Research shows that Xella saves 70 tons of CO2 emissions annually by switching to plastic pallets. According to Jeroen van Heerwaarden, commercial director of Xella, this shows the Vuren company's sustainability ambition. "We are not waiting for legislation or other parties to figure out how to make steps. We take our responsibility as Xella and take the initiative to lead the way in sustainability and circularity. We invest very consciously, for example, in transparent packaging film with minimal printing, but now also in returnable pallets made of recyclable plastic."

Tested product

The production and complete logistics of these recyclable plastic pallets is in the hands of Circular Plastic Alliance. The organization strives for a closed loop of sustainable packaging. To this end, it has initiated several project groups of companies with a similar vision of business and sustainability. In one of these, Xella took the initiative two years back to investigate the feasibility of the plastic pallet. According to Johan Thans, Director of Circular Plastic Alliance, a plastic alternative to traditional wooden packaging emerged from this. "We have run several pilots with Xella so that we now have a fully tested product that can easily withstand 3,500 kg of load, lie outside and withstand construction work. In addition, we have a unique logistics concept with return and quality control that ensures Xella has good pallets that can be reused constantly."

Profit

To prove the effectiveness of the pallets in practice, Xella is working with some contractors in a series of pilot projects. This will be followed by further rollout in the market. Van Heerwaarden: "We are convinced of the product and the positive impact it has. In the pilot that we will now run with contractors and then with our finishers, we will demonstrate that the processes on the construction site do not have to change, but that demonstrable sustainable gains can be achieved. The nestable plastic pallets take up sixty percent less space, are one-third lighter in weight, last three to five times longer and, after their full life cycle, serve as the raw material for a new pallet. We want to be able to demonstrate this digitally in an improved sustainability score on our customers' projects."