Industry Served | Building Materials
National Manufacturing Firm Saves $2M Annually While Achieving Sustainability Goals with Custom Solution
4,800
Cubic Yards of Wood
Waste Kept Out of Landfills
96,000
Repurposed Pallets
Annually
$2,000,000
In Annual
Savings
SNAPSHOT
Industry: Building Materials
Products / Services Provided: Pallet Recycling, Repair & Return, Captive Pallets, Vendor Managed Inventory
Challenge
High-volume industrial wood waste & costly annual disposal fees.
Solution
A dedicated pallet repair-and-return facility, less than 10 miles from their warehouse.
Results
Estimated annual cost savings of $2 million, with 8,000 repurposed pallets saved from landfills every month.
A global leader in the design and manufacturing of kitchen, bath and plumbing products came to us through a client referral. One of their locations faced a growing problem: it was spending over $60,000 a month on waste disposal.
Not only were they discarding tens of thousands of wood pallets annually, but they were paying full price for replacement pallets with each new order. In short, our customer had two presenting issues: costly disposal fees and mounting landfill waste — contrary to their long-term net zero goal.
Identifying the Real Problem, Implementing a Reliable Solution
When we analyzed the pallets they had been using at our ISTA-certified packaging science lab, we identified a root cause beneath the presenting issues: their previous supplier had knowingly provided the wrong spec.
This hidden decision resulted in an inferior product, unfit for the scale of our customer’s operations. We remedied this immediately with a proven, durable and reusable pallet spec — one that would support their growth aspirations, not hinder them.
Delivering More Than A Pallet: Satisfying Sustainability Requirements
Hearing our customer’s ESG concerns, we went a step further, establishing a dedicated repair-and-return facility less than 10 miles from their location. We opened, equipped and staffed this fully operational solution in less than three months.
The results were immediate and impactful. Each month, this facility repairs and repurposes approximately 8,000 pallets for this customer — totalling 96,000 pallets annually — saving tonnes of wood waste from landfill and significantly reducing our customer’s carbon footprint, in line with their commitment to environmental sustainability.
Closing the Loop, Partnering for Long-Term Success
This dual solution helped our customer realize estimated annual savings exceeding $2 million (based on combined disposal fees and new pallet purchasing costs). With the right spec and a circular economy-supporting facility nearby, they were empowered to grow their business the way they wanted.
That is the kind of success we want every Millwood customer to experience — a growth story built on a mutually beneficial partnership, supported by our expansive network of facilities across North America.
No matter your company’s objectives, we are confident that, together, we can identify, implement and scale proven solutions that serve your unique aspirations — even if that means adding a brand-new facility to our network to serve your needs.
Contact us today to see how we can put our capabilities to work for you.
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We understand that time is one of your most valuable assets; that’s why we work hard to provide every one of our clients with a systems-based approach to improving quality and reducing costs while increasing efficiency. Whether you are looking for a single product or need a more comprehensive solution, our business is to support and serve the needs of your business.
We work with each of our clients to:
- Listen to their current and upcoming needs.
- Determine which of our products and services fit their application best.
- Develop an integrated plan to help them succeed.
We look forward to talking with you to learn how our team can serve your business.
Read More Case Studies
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Millwood implemented PalletView to centralize returnable packaging across 16 glass manufacturing sites in North America, reclaiming 250,000+ sq. ft. of space, standardizing operations, and delivering over $5 million in annual cost savings.
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