Comparisons of environmental impacts between wood and plastic transport pallets

Kočí, Václav

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.472

Cited by 26 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Particularly, researchers from Auburn University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech, and the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association were actively involved in the research. Gasol et al [19] and Alvarez and Rubio [14] studied pallet production in Spain, Kočí [30] assessed the impacts of pallet production in the Czech Republic, whereas Niero et al [22] conducted a more generic study representative of European conditions. Finally, Bengtsson and Logie [25] and researchers from Edge Environment Pty Ltd [28] conducted their studies for pallet production in Australia and Southeast Asia.…”

Section: Geographical Scopementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Though it should be noted that supply chains vary in distance and complexity so it is difficult to gauge exactly how many trips or cycles a pallet will last. In some studies [19,30], the mass of products delivered (e.g., 1000 t or 1000 kg), was chosen as a functional unit. This approach accounts for the differing carrying capacities of the pallets.…”

Section: Functional Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many studies [6,14,18,19,22,28,30], primary and site-specific data were used to model the process of pallet manufacturing, as well as data on the consumption of raw materials and energy. In some other studies, combinations of primary and secondary data were used.…”

Section: Life Cycle Inventorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other non-toxic impact categories, such as acidification, eutrophication, or ozone layer depletion potential, were also studied [19,20,22,28,30]. The studies by Kurisunkal [20], Bengtsson and Logie [25], and Kočí [30] assessed a wide spectrum of impacts, including non-toxic impact categories, toxic impacts, resource depletion potential, water use, as well as land occupation. In the study by researchers from Edge Environment Pty Ltd [28], emissions of biogenic carbon due to deforestation were accounted for, as well as an indicator accounting for the use of waste in the plastic pallets was calculated.…”

Section: Life Cycle Impact Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wooden and Plastic Pallets: A Review of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Studies

et al. 2019

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Pallets are the tiny cogs in the machine that drive transportation in the global economy. The profusion of pallets in today’s supply chain warrants the investigation and discussion of their respective environmental impacts. This paper reviews the life cycle assessment studies analyzing the environmental impacts of pallets with the intent of providing insights into the methodological choices made, as well as compiling the inventory data from the studies reviewed. The study is a meta-analysis of eleven scientific articles, two conference articles, two peer-reviewed reports, and one thesis. The review was implemented to identify the key methodological choices made in those studies, such as their goals, functional units, system boundaries, inventory data, life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) procedures, and results. The 16 studies reviewed cumulatively analyzed 43 pallets. Mostly pooled (n = 22/43), block-type (n = 13/43), and wooden (n = 32/43) pallets with dimensions of 1219 mm × 1016 mm or 48 in. × 40 in. (n = 15/43) were studied. Most of the studies represented pallet markets in the United States (n = 9/16). Load-based (e.g., 1000 kg of products delivered), trip-based (e.g., 1000 trips), and pallet-based (e.g., one pallet) functional units were declared. A trip-based functional unit seems the most appropriate for accounting of the function of the pallets, as its purpose is to carry goods and facilitate the transportation of cargo. A significant amount of primary inventory data on the production and repair of wooden and plastic pallets are available, yet there are significant variations in the data. Data on pallets made of wood–polymer composites was largely missing.

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Section: Geographical Scopementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Functional Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Life Cycle Inventorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Life Cycle Impact Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wooden and Plastic Pallets: A Review of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Studies

et al. 2019

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“…Ren et al [19], Doungpattra et al [20], Zhou et al [21], and Kesen and Alim [22] developed some optimization models for empty pallet allocation. Bilbao et al [23], Carrano et al [24], Tornese et al [25], Bengtssona and Logie [26], Tornese et al [27], Accorsi et al [28], and Kočí [29] measured carbon emissions from pallet logistics and proposed that pallet rental system was the most environmentally friendly pallet management mode.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An optimization model for fleet sizing and empty pallet allocation considering CO2 emissions

et al. 2020

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Pallets are the most common equipment for transporting and storing goods. More and more companies are willing to rent pallets. Pallet rental companies need to transport pallets from their pallet rental service stations to customers and take these pallets back when they are unloaded. Hence, managers should scientifically configure vehicles for their pallet rental service stations. The fleet size, which indicates the amount and types of vehicles, can significantly affect the efficiency and costs of empty pallet allocation. Therefore, an optimization model for fleet sizing and empty pallet allocation is proposed using the methods of mixedinteger programming and stochastic programming. The objectives of this model are to maximize the profits of pallet rental companies and minimize carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from vehicles. A particle swarm optimization algorithm with inertia weight (IPSO) is developed to solve the proposed model because IPSO can avoid becoming trapped in local optima and is able to find a globally optimal solution within a reasonable number of iterations. A numerical example proves the effectiveness of the proposed model and IPSO. The results of numerical tests show that the amount of CO 2 emissions from vehicles can affect the decision on fleet sizing and empty pallet allocation. However, if the price, rental fees, or idle costs of the vehicles with low CO 2 emissions are too high, managers would not choose them.

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Viability of sustainable logistics practices enabling circular economy: A system dynamics approach

Jayarathna,

Agdas,

Dawes

2023

Bus Strat Env

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Transitioning toward a circular economy (CE) offers a promising avenue for achieving sustainable logistics systems. Nevertheless, the assessment of sustainable logistics practices (SLPs) in the CE context presents challenges due to the inherent dynamism and complexity of logistics systems. This study aims to assess SLPs toward a CE by employing a system dynamics analysis. Specifically, we focus on four sustainability practices: green purchasing (GP), eco‐design (ED), reverse logistics (RL), and green transportation (GT). These practices are assessed in terms of economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability performance using a hypothetical case study centered on pallet manufacturing and distribution system. The results revealed that the RL practice yields improved economic and social performance, while GT enhances environmental performance more significantly when compared to the other three practices. Our analysis shows RL as a promising practice that enhances overall sustainability performance. This model serves as a valuable tool for decision‐makers aiding them in the prioritization of sustainability practices based on their performance within various CE strategies.

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Comparisons of environmental impacts between wood and plastic transport pallets

Cited by 26 publications

References 8 publications

Wooden and Plastic Pallets: A Review of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Studies

Wooden and Plastic Pallets: A Review of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Studies

An optimization model for fleet sizing and empty pallet allocation considering CO2 emissions

Viability of sustainable logistics practices enabling circular economy: A system dynamics approach

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