ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association earned USDA Certified Biobased Product status for wood pallet manufacturers that use its Pallet Design System. The pallets can be labeled as 100-percent biobased products, and federal agencies are required to buy them.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's BioPreferred Program and the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association action covers all coated and uncoated wood pallets manufactured with NWPCA's Pallet Design System (PDS).
"Achieving certification for our PDS users confirms the strong environmental attributes of wood pallets and presents tremendous opportunities for our members," said Brent McClendon, President and CEO of NWPCA. All Federal agencies and their contractors have a sustainable product acquisition mandate to purchase biobased products identified by USDA's BioPreferred program. Wood pallet design also combats inroads by plastic pallets made with petroleum.
Kate Lewis of USDA's BioPreferred Program called the label an "accomplishment in demonstrating the sustainability of wood products. To receive product certification from USDA, pallets manufactured using PDS underwent third-party testing of multiple products." said Lewis. "Hundreds of companies are now partners in the program and may begin labeling their pallets."
A product's biobased content is the portion of a product that comes from a renewable carbon source, such as plant, animal, marine, or forestry feedstocks. Using biobased materials displaces the need for non-renewable petroleum-based materials and plays an increasingly important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that exacerbate global climate change. Visit www.palletcentral.com to learn more about the BioPreferred Program's USDA Certified Biobased Product label.
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