Reusability is an important measure to conserve resources and keep them in the loop. This potential is particularly high in logistics, where large quantities of merchandise are transported to the stores every day. A decisive lever here is the increased use of multiple-use pallets. One important aspect in this respect is the material composition of the pallets, since load carriers made of plastic can be used considerably more often than pallets made of wood.

Switch from Single-Use to Multiple-Use Pallets

Not only do conventional single-use pallets demand use of valuable primary raw material, they can usually only be used once. The switch to using reusable models is therefore a decisive step toward conserving resources in logistics. We are also driving this forward in our unique ecosystem with our own cross-divisional solutions. The PreTurn multiple-use pallets, a brand of the environmental service provider PreZero, are also one of these innovations. They are made of recyclable plastic and their benefits outweigh those of wooden multiple-use pallets.

Stable and Durable: The Alternative to Wood

Wooden pallets are considered standard for the transportation of goods in many companies. However, pallets made of wood – and even compressed wood – may become damp, are heavy and have a limited lifespan. Replacements are often manufactured from virgin wood. We, as companies of Schwarz Group, act ahead and therefore rely on multiple-use alternatives to classical spruce wood. 

PreTurn offers multiple-use pallets made of plastic in various formats. So far, we have brought a total of over four million Heilbronner half-pallets as well as more than about 700,000 Neckarsulmer Euro pallets into circulation – even beyond the ecosystems of the companies of Schwarz Group. As such, we are making an extensive contribution to increasing sustainability in the logistics branch.

What makes these multiple-use pallets so special? In comparison to conventional wooden pallets, the multiple-use pallets made of sturdy plastic offer decisive benefits: They are more stable, weigh less and are considerably more durable. Moreover, plastic is hygienic and can be cleaned. Each pallet can be fitted with an RFID chip for traceability and digital inventory management. Thanks to significantly more tours, the pallets considerably eliminate the need for new production runs, thus actively contributing to the conservation of resources. Furthermore, they also make us more independent in a strained wood market and reinforce our resource sovereignty as a consequence.

Wide Range of Solutions for Goods Transport

In the companies of Schwarz Group, many similar sustainable logistics solutions are deployed. The retail divisions Lidl and Kaufland, Schwarz Produktion, Schwarz Beschaffung, and the environmental service provider PreZero are therefore committed to reusability. An overview of the most important solutions are:

• PreTurn develops and markets load carriers made of plastic, which stay considerably longer in circulation, such as the Neckarsulmer Euro Pallet and the Heilbronner Half-Pallet. 
• In the Lidl logistics centers, the goods are commissioned onto multiple-use load carriers.
• Together with Schwarz Beschaffung, Kaufland has developed the Kaufland folding pallet made of metal for inter-company transportation, which saves on the deployment of 20 percent packaging film and is also ergonomic.
• Schwarz Produktion uses its own pool of multiple-use pallet cages, which can be folded together to save space.

By 2027, the companies of Schwarz Group intend to switch internal goods picking almost completely to multiple-use pallets. Specifically, this refers to picking goods in the regional distribution centers for delivery to the stores. This target for the “REuse” action area is an integral part of the jointly elaborated “REset Resources” circular economy strategy of the companies of Schwarz Group. In the REuse field, we adhere to the following principle: “We promote reuse.”