We’re chipping away at our Carbon Footprint.
1st June 2023
We have recently invested in a state-of-the-art PS1300 pallet shredder, as a way of lowering our carbon footprint by reducing our waste and enabling the materials that would usually have gone to landfill or surplus, to be recycled and reused.
Suppliers’ countrywide use wooden pallets for heavier materials when delivering to site. These pallets come and unfortunately, do not go. They are then unable to be taken back by the suppliers and in the past, we have had difficulties in re-homing the pallets to local businesses as there is a push-back with them coming from building sites.
Here’s where our Managing Director, Andi Summerton, had the idea to reduce this waste, reuse these pallets and enable them to be recycled to benefit not only our own carbon footprint but also those who wish to purchase our pallet chippings for sustainable use as biomass. Bioenergy is currently the second largest source of renewable energy in the UK, generating 12.9% of the total UK electricity supply in 2021.
Biomass energy is a renewable energy source, which is much better for the environment that any other form of energy and electricity generation. The growth of trees or plants removes greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil. Therefore, the wood used for these pallets, which are then chipped up by our brand-new pallet chipper and all the are nails removed, are turned into biomass for others to use to produce creates a fantastic cycle of reusable energy, reduction of emissions, recycling of waste products, and lowering our carbon footprint.
How will this be turned into energy once sold you ask? Biomass is converted to energy through various processes, including direct combustion, or burning to produce heat. This is what would pallet chippings would be sold for and would contribute to aspects such as heating buildings and water, for industrial process heat, and for generating electricity in steam turbines.
Overall, this is looking to be a excellent leap forward in sustainable waste management for Walton Homes and we cannot wait to see our chipper in action!
Our source of biomass information: https://tinyurl.com/5n8t7t28 , https://tinyurl.com/2wdykfbz & https://tinyurl.com/44n4hk7k
PS1300 pallet shredder in action.