The Pallet LOOP officially joins BSW Group

The Pallet LOOP is a transformational, circular economy, pallet reuse scheme. On a mission to eliminate avoidable pallet waste in the UK construction sector, The Pallet LOOP provides a range of pallets that can be recovered, repaired, and reused, alongside a nationwide pallet collection service.

The business was founded by Paul and Ryan Lewis (formerly HLC Wood Products) with backing from Scott Group Investments, and will now complement the operations and capabilities within BSW Group.

Paul Lewis remains at the helm of The Pallet LOOP as founder and managing director. He will work closely alongside his team to roll out an innovative business-to-business pallet distribution and collection model, that will shift the construction sector away from the current pallet practice of ‘deliver, distribute and discard’ to the more sustainable principles of ‘recover, repair, reuse.’

The Pallet LOOP will be able to leverage BSW Group’s integrated supply chain capabilities, which span all aspects of timber production and processing from seed innovation and tree nurseries to forestry management and harvesting, sawmilling, timber product manufacturing, and carbon offsetting.

This news comes as The Pallet LOOP announces several other strategic changes that will help advance the roll out of its circular economy green pallets, which are due to enter the UK construction sector in the coming months.

Ahead of the roll out of its green pallets, The Pallet LOOP is also announcing changes to its operating model, which are designed to benefit the entire building materials supply chain. To incentivise returns, The Pallet LOOP will now be offering registered return partners – typically merchants, distributors, principal contractors, and housebuilding companies – a PayBack of up to £4 for every green pallet they put back in the LOOP. This financial incentive, which recognises best practice, will be in addition to the waste cost savings that those who receive pallets (end users – including general builders) will gain from the service.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time at The Pallet LOOP,” said Paul Lewis. “We are on the cusp of delivering a widespread shift in how building materials are moved around the UK.

“With a range of green pallets that are engineered to be used again and again, and a nationwide pallet collection service, The Pallet LOOP is designed to have a positive financial and environmental impact.

“We are grateful that BSW has recognised the inherent value in our model and delighted to be part of a fully integrated supply chain that is committed to unlocking the full potential of timber, sustaining long-term growth for the construction industry and building a more sustainable world.”

“We’re delighted to welcome LOOP as a member of BSW and Binderholz,” said Mike Faulkner, commercial director at BSW Group. “A staggering 20 million pallets are manufactured for the UK construction industry every year, but less than 10% of these are currently reused.

“As a major supplier into this sector, we want to do what we can to change this. Our values at BSW are aligned with those of LOOP, and we’re incredibly excited to drive positive change by incentivising customers to reduce waste and reuse pallets.

“We’ve already been impressed by the growth and commitment of the business and are keen to build on the great work that Paul and his team have started. LOOP perfectly slots into BSW’s circular business model and we can’t wait to get going.”

Further information about when The Pallet LOOP’s green pallets will enter the market will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, The Pallet LOOP is encouraging large housebuilders, merchants, distributors, and principal contractors to register for an account with the business so they can take advantage of the PayBack on offer as soon as green pallets reach merchant branches, distribution hubs and building sites.

In a further boost to The Pallet LOOP, Andy Williamson, former commercial director of SIG plc, has joined the company as director of business development. He joins The Pallet LOOP after working with the team for the last six months as a non-executive director.