At Change the Pallet, we have always advocated on behalf of corrugated shipping pallets for their ability to reduce traffic, carbon emissions, and worker injuries. But it is this last item, we have noticed, which most commonly tends to raise eyebrows. After all, many have wondered, how significant can wood pallet-related injuries really be? As it turns out, they are quite significant. 

Walmart recently made headline news with its major Project Gigaton initiative. The initiative aims to eliminate a billion tons (one gigaton) of emissions by 2030. Kudos to the world's largest retailer for making a commitment that sets a high bar for America's corporations. So what does this have to do with shipping pallets?

In our last post, we wrote about how Ford touts its U.S. facilities to be "zero waste" despite allowing suppliers to ship on wood pallets that cause added emissions and must be trucked away. We pointed out that if Ford used its purchasing power to direct suppliers to ship to their plants on recyclable, corrugated pallets, this would result in significant fuel savings and carbon emissions reductions.

Recently, Ford promoted a new video on Facebook touting one of its U.S. facilities as "zero waste." At Change the Pallet, we love seeing leading companies take meaningful steps to reduce waste and carbon footprints. But we can’t help but wonder: can any facility in the U.S. that allows its suppliers to deliver on wood pallets truly be "zero waste?"

It's not often one can say their partner won an Oscar, which is what makes this announcement so special!