Export packaging specialist JMP Holdings is launching a new plastic pallet made from plastic waste collected from Asia.
The company is using a new thermo-fusion process that turns a whole range of plastic waste, including plastic bags and food wrap, into plastic pallets.
Jeff Egan, a director of JMP Holdings, says the plastic is bundled up, sent to the plant and turned into a pallet.
“It doesn’t need to be sorted and separated,” Egan says. “You burn it in a process using heat and pressure into a form that can be extruded into a metal mould and it is then formed into a pallet.
“Waste material is very quickly turned into a saleable item that gives life to material that would otherwise be committed to land fill.”
The technology is proving to be a big hit in Asia, Egan says, as it is helping to clean up streets and beaches, and its putting a value on waste plastic.
“Those who collect the plastic waste receive payment for it, and the end product is a reusable pallet,” he says.
“This technology is dealing with a massive waste issue. The amount of waste collected every day for recycling is scary. It’s hundreds and hundreds of tonnes and now this can be exported out of the country and it can generate income. It ticks a lot of boxes, and many countries are, as a result, lining up to get hold of the technology.
“Green waste is a big issue, and we talk about it in the supply chain all the time. This group has come up with a really excellent initiative.”
Egan says the initiative targets waste in areas where there are no means to recycle it. “It winds up in rivers, and ultimately the beaches and into the sea,” he says.
“Now we have put a price on it. We say collect it and bring it to a central point, and we will pay you for it. We have a reason to use that waste.
“We have offices around Asia, and we are planning to release the new pallet into JMP Asian markets and ultimately when production capacity builds, we will launch in Australia.”
The pallet was launched last month and will provide another option for many of JMP’s exporters and general warehousing users, Egan says. It will be available in Asia initially, and then into Australia once the volumes are consistently higher.
As the pallet made from 100 per cent scrap, it’s a lower cost option compared to standard plastic pallets, which are traditionally a little more expensive than timber pallets.
“Now plastic pallets can compete with timber, but more importantly, we are dealing with a major waste issue that is damaging the environment. Our pallet and its growth will provide additional environmental benefits.”
JMP Holdings is making plastic pallets from plastic waste in Asia.
