SRS4702 Header Pallet Wood Use, Repair, Recycling and Landfilling


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 Abstract. In 1995 in the US over 6.3 billion board feet of solid wood was used to manufacture pallets and containers. That year, over 171 million pallets, containing some 2.6 billion board feet, were recovered from the waste stream by pallet recyclers and retrievers. Eighty-seven percent of which was used again in a pallet. Recovery operations at landfill facilities diverted and recycled 35 million pallets from the waste stream while 188 million pallets were landfilled. Pallet recovery has become an important and significant activity. These numbers and much more were developed in our previous studies.

Because of the need to provide continued periodic assessments of pallet wood use, repair, recycling and landfilling we are in the process of conducting new studies based upon activities in 1998. This information has played an important role in convincing EPA to specify wood pallets as a reuse and recycled product that should receive preferences in government purchasing. The data also will and has shown the effectiveness of our repaired pallet research program and our efforts to reduce pallet landfilling.

Robert J. Bush (VA Tech), Philip A. Araman, and Bruce Hansen (NERS-RWU-4803)

 


Accomplishments

  • Research has been completed on wood use in pallets for 1992, 1993 and 1995
  • Research has been completed on repaired pallets for 1993 and 1995
  • Research has been completed on landfilled pallets for 1995

Current and Future Work

  • Conducting new wood needs for pallets study for 1998 (Joint project with NERS-4803)
  • Conducting a pallet retrieval / repair / recycling study for 1998 (Joint project with NERS-4803)
  • Conducting a study on pallet landfilling and recovery at MSW and C&D facilities for 1998

Technology Transfer Efforts

  • We have published over 15 papers on the above subjects
  • We have made over 25 presentations on the above subjects

Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management - Virginia Tech

Economics of Eastern Forest Use - USFS RWU-NERS-4803

 

 

Southern Research Station Forest Service USDA Virginia Tech Department of Wood Science and Forest Products Non-Timber Forest Products
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Last Modified: 06/13/07
Send Comments to Matt Winn: mwinn@fs.fed.us