Cutting distribution emissions with UK plastic manufacturing
From June , Palletower , the UK ’ s leading manufacturer and stockist of storage and logistics equipment have transitioned the production of their plastic box pallets and collars to the UK . In the past , these have been manufactured and imported from Europe and China . At present , a fully lorry load of plastic boxes ( 104 ) weighing 4.6 tonnes distributed from Istanbul to the UK generates almost 2.6 tonnes of carbon emissions .
Manufacture location
Distance to Birmingham ( km )
Road ( KgCO2e )
Sea ( KgCO2e )
Wellto-Tank ( KgCO2e )
Total distribution emissions ( KgCO2e )
Rome 1,995 1,276 309.6 1,585.6
Istanbul 3,223 2,067.9 501.8 2,569.7
Shanghai 19,374 240.8 1,044.2 295.2 1,580.2
Madrid 1,910 1,221.7 296.5 1,518.2
Munich 1,305 834.7 202.5 1,037.2
The shift in production not only allows Palletower to have more control over materials , but means that the company can offer the environmental and cost benefits to its wide customer base .
The impact that overseas distribution has on your carbon footprint
The average SME company in the UK generates around 15 tonnes of carbon emissions annually , making up 44 % of the UK ’ s nonhousehold emissions . Palletower has partnered with Positive Planet , a sustainability business advisory , revealing the carbon impact of distribution to the UK , depending on location . Birmingham was chosen as the distribution centre of choice as it is a central UK distribution location .
As the majority of boxes were manufactured in Istanbul , by transporting just 607 plastic boxes to the UK , this generates the same amount of carbon emissions as an average SME . However , with the exclusive mould allowing manufacturing of Palletower plastic boxes in the UK , they will be saving up to 2,569.7 KgCO2e per 104 boxes produced , as distribution emissions will be eliminated .
While businesses may opt to source products from Europe rather than Asia in an effort to become more environmentally conscious , the research has revealed that transporting primarily by road , over a much shorter distance can produce significantly more emissions than transporting by sea from further afield .
In fact , road freight produces nearly 10 times ( 9.7 ) the amount of emissions as sea freight . For example , a lorry travelling 1995km from Rome to Birmingham produces 1,586KgCO2e compared to Shanghai which produces 1580KgCO2e over 19,374km distance . Therefore , by shifting manufacturing to the UK , businesses could reduce distribution emissions by 1000-2,600KgCO2e per shipment .
The multi-purpose use of Palletower ’ s plastic boxes make them widely used in an array of industries to distribute products locally and globally . While Palletower ’ s customers might focus on their individual sustainability goals , the climate impact and change that Palletower has made by moving their production to the UK benefits the industry as a whole .
Matthew Palmer , Managing Director at Palletower says , “ In an industry which is typically known as having its environmental challenges , we are keen to lead the way and spread awareness to our customers about the importance of investing in sustainable practices from the ground up , starting with the equipment they use to transport their goods .’’
For more information about Palletower ’ s UK manufacturing , please visit : Contact Us for Your Storage & Logistics Solutions | Palletower
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