The construction industry is one of the largest industrial sectors in Britain. 6% of UK GDP and 6.6% of all British jobs come from construction, according to the Office of National Statistics. The pallet industry, which is connected through the near ubiquitous use of pallets to transport construction products, supplies 20 million 2-way and 4-way pallets per year to the construction industry, yet it is estimated that only 10% are reused, according to pallet reuse schemes and the continental publication, Packaging Europe. Junction 4 Pallets is helping to change this by managing waste for its construction product industry customers.
When asked why pallet reuse is so low in the construction sector, Jeff May, Deputy Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association says:
“Construction is often stuck in the same old, same old, and so, getting change across has always been much more difficult for UK construction. It’s a very siloed industry. The manufacturers versus the builders, versus the architects, versus the facilities management teams. It just runs the gamut and often there’s a push-pull about everything from who’s going to pay for it, to who’s going to accept the risk and the responsibility. This can make UK construction very adversarial and instead of focusing on solutions, the industry can be very focused on near term concerns.”
Junction 4 Pallets prevent and manage waste for construction and building product industry customers with its on-site pallet management service. J4 sorts, repairs and maintains an exclusive pool of pallets specifically owned by customers on-site at their locations, ensuring a steady supply of durable pallets whilst reducing the need for new raw materials and cost of buying new pallets.
Junction 4 Pallets also offers a pallet collection service. As a 24/7, day and night pallet collection partner, J4 works with businesses to purchase unwanted pallets quickly, creating revenue and freeing up space for businesses so our customers can focus on the things that matter the most.
Speaking about pallet waste within the construction and building products sector, Junction 4 Pallets’ latest employee and former construction industry veteran, Ian Barnes, says:
“Coming from working in the construction industry to working in the pallet industry, I can see the revenue that can be built from surplus pallets, and I can see what’s achievable. It’s a case of training the right people to see what they’re missing out on.”
Junction 4 Pallets’ National Account Manager, Matthew Scott, adds that Junction 4’s collection service offers more than just solving waste issues for the construction industry:
“By choosing Junction 4 Pallets as a pallet collection partner, savings can be seen instantly, reducing the hours that companies spend sorting and inspecting pallets.
“Junction 4 Pallets take away the headache of deciding what a good and reusable pallet looks like, and we record Waste Diversion Rates, which can be shared directly with customers to support them in reaching their sustainability targets.”
If you would like to learn more about how our pallet collections service supports the construction and building product industry, please click here.