BSW Group members and Mowi collaborate to reduce carbon footprint

Mowi’s Fort William site, in north-west Scotland, is a primary processing facility, producing 65,000 tonnes of fresh salmon annually, which is chilled, packed and shipped throughout the UK, and globally, on timber pallets.

Scott Pallets was engaged by Mowi to support a move away from the more traditional forms of pallet supply, and so enlisted the support of fellow BSW Group member, BSW Timber, to collaborate.

As a result, BSW Timber, which has been a critical timber supplier to Scott Pallets for many years, installed a pallet production line at its site in Fort William, and the team has been professionally trained by Scott Pallets’ production personnel to manufacture pallets specifically for Mowi’s fresh fish product.

This strategic move means Mowi’s pallets are not just being manufactured in Scotland, but the timber is also being grown in the country too – enabling Mowi to benefit from a secure, local supply of timber pallets to its production line. Ultimately, this has helped to solve the challenge of ensuring a continuous, reliable supply of sustainable timber pallets to this remote location, from just a few miles away.

Such an investment showcases the ability of BSW Group businesses to work together and innovate to find better solutions for customers.

From seed to finished pallet, the materials and labour involved are all within the north-west of Scotland. This saves the transportation of timber to a separate pallet manufacturing site, and again saves the transportation of the manufactured pallets to Mowi’s facility – that’s 290 miles saved for one load of pallets. So, during the course of a year, and 140,000 pallets used, this equates to roughly 43 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved.

Having a reliable source of pallets in such close proximity means that Mowi no longer needs to order a full load of pallets and store them, but can call off smaller quantities as and when they are required.

“We’re proud to be supporting this major employer in the Scottish Highlands with a collaborative approach that achieves really positive environmental gains,” said Robert Blaikie, sales director at Scott Pallets.

“This project is a perfect demonstration of how BSW Group, and UK businesses generally, can work together and create a reduced-carbon economy.”

"Mowi has nearly completed its expansion and upgrade of its salmon processing plant in Fort William with the latest equipment that advances our sustainability goals detailed in our Leading The Blue Revolution Plan,” said Scott Nolan, Mowi's sales and operations director. “This business partnership with local Lochaber companies Scott Pallets and BSW Timber compliments numerous initiatives that will help lower our carbon footprint while also securing delivery of the UK's top seafood choice."