ONE of the UK's largest forestry firms has taken control of a wooden pallet recycling scheme.  

Pallet Loop, a private company that operates a pallet reuse project for the construction industry, is now wholly-owned by BSW Group, part of Binderholz.

Pallet Loop began in 2019 as a joint venture between Paul and Ryan Lewis and pallet producer Scott Group. The Lewis brothers used to own HLC Wood Products, which they sold to Scott in 2015.

READ MORE: BSW Group chairman Tony Hackney announces retirement

BSW acquired Scott Group in December 2022. For the first year Pallet Loop remained a joint venture between the Lewis brothers and BSW, but now BSW has taken full ownership.

Paul remains at the helm of Pallet Loop as founder and managing director.

He said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time at The Pallet LOOP. 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 have 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.”

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.

Mike Faulkner, Commercial Director at BSW Group, said: “We’re delighted to welcome LOOP as a member of BSW and Binderholz. A staggering 20 million pallets are manufactured for the UK construction industry every year, but less than 10 per cent 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." 

Elsewhere,  Andy Williamson, former commercial director of SIG PLC, has joined the company as director of Business Development. Andy joins The Pallet LOOP after working with the team for the last six months as a non-executive director (NED).