URSA reusable pallet service rolling out across Europe

URSA’s reusable pallet service launched in Germany in April 2022 is already exceeding targets. So far in 2023 the project has been rolled out in France and Benelux and will kick off in Poland before the end of the year. In the coming years we plan to roll the service out in other European markets.

Our reusable pallet service is consistent with our commitment to reducing our environmental impact by adhering to the three R’s of the circular economy: reduce, reuse and recycle. It also strengthens our relationship with customers who share our values and are on the same journey.

Alongside the sheer practicality of the service, our customers know that by partnering with us in a sustainable circular economy, they’re reducing their own CO2 footprint.

Reusing pallets saves wood and CO2

According to our calculations, it takes approximately 15kg of wood to make one pallet. Around 1,500 trees have to be felled to make 100,000 pallets. Reusing 100,000 pallets saves 1,340 tons of CO2.

Melanie Linger, Director of Business Development for our service partner in Germany and Benelux, Boomerang Retour  explains that ‘Wooden pallet reuse, over and over again, is better than manufacture of a new single-use pallet for every trip. Extending the lifespan of wooden pallets in a professionally managed reuse framework maintains the embedded carbon.’

Each of our new pallets can be reused at least three or four times and maybe longer depending on how carefully it’s stored and transported. The amount of wood consumed is reduced considerably.

Exceeding our targets in Germany

When we launched our reusable pallet service in Germany in April 2022 our goal was to reduce the total number of our pallets in the German market by 40%. This ambitious target has already been exceeded.

In Germany, URSA GEO and PUREONE are now delivered on new more robust, sustainable pallets designed to enable easy handling that sport the URSA logo for rapid identification.

After a customer has used one of our new pallets, they contact service provider Boomerang Retour via either an online form, email, international freephone number or WhatsApp. Boomerang Retour organises the collection of the pallets from the retailer or construction site and they’re inspected. If necessary, they’re repaired before being reused. Customers receive a credit note for each pallet returned.

By the end of 2022, the total number of our pallets in circulation in Germany had been reduced by 30%. Between December 2022 to May 2023 the return rate was over 50%.

Award-winning solutions partner in Germany and Benelux

We selected Boomerang as our German service partner because they’re an experienced reverse logistics service provider dedicated to circularity in the building materials supply chain. During more than 30 years in the industry, Boomerang has established several award-winning solutions.

In 2023, Boomerang controls and supervises millions of pallets for many clients including URSA. Thousands of supply chain locations actively participate in its service.

Melanie Linger of Boomerang told me that ‘Through participation in our system, the pallet pool, a critical supply chain asset, becomes a high-performance business resource.’

Boomerang also provides the pallet return service in Benelux, where it operates on identical lines.

URSA France pallet service provider is market leader

Partnering with Epalia, a leader in the field of reusable pallets whose client list includes such big names as Ikea, Lidl and Cemex, we launched our reusable pallets service in the French market in June 2023.

In France, the service is driven by online technology. Users log in to the Epalia platform with details of how many pallets need to be collected. They can use email, phone or WhatsApp. Epalia collects the pallets within 15 working days. If the condition of the pallet complies with the terms of the programme, users receive a refund within seven days of collection.

Assuming we meet our target pallet return rate for the French market, we estimate that more than 8000 trees could be saved.

Creating a circular economy ecosystem

By the end of 2023, our reusable pallets service will be operating in four European markets. We’re committed to introducing it into other European markets in future.

Our reusable pallets service demonstrates that our commitment to the circular economy and the three Rs doesn’t just focus on our products. It spans the ecosystem in which these are provided to our customers, including packaging. While we do face challenges such as the availability of raw materials, in this case wood, we’re dedicated to our mission to preserve resources while saving customers time and money.

We’re also totally aligned with the requirements and mindset coming from the markets. As a result of our commitment to the circular economy, we’re learning all the time, helping us become even more of a knowledge leader in our sector.

About Fernando Mingo

Fernando joined URSA in August 2021 as Circular Economy Manager, defining and executing the company’s circular economy strategy, leading all European circular economy projects and coordinating the company’s business units.