Across industries, companies (including ours!) are rethinking what it means to move materials responsibly. “Zero waste” was once a lofty environmental slogan; today, it’s a practical benchmark shaping everything from manufacturing processes to packaging design to global logistic.
At its core, the zero-waste movement seeks to eliminate the concept of waste altogether — by designing products and processes that keep materials circulating in productive use for as long as possible. In the supply chain world, that mindset is transforming how products are made, shipped, and ultimately reused or recycled. The goal isn’t simply to reduce landfill waste — it’s to build a system in which resources retain value, carbon emissions shrink, and operations become leaner and smarter.
The Supply Chain’s Evolving Role in the Zero-Waste Movement
Large manufacturers, consumer brands, and logistics providers alike are realizing that waste in the supply chain takes many forms. It can mean wasted material, wasted motion, wasted time, or wasted energy. Tackling those inefficiencies has led to an explosion of innovation across several fronts:
- Circular materials: Forward-thinking producers are moving away from single-use plastics and virgin materials in favor of recycled or bio-based alternatives. From packaging made with plant fibers to reusable containers for bulk goods, the goal is to keep materials cycling through the economy rather than ending up in landfills.
- Reverse logistics: Instead of treating delivering goods as a one-way street, many companies are designing “backhaul” routes to retrieve reusable containers, pallets, and packaging from customers. Those assets can be repaired, sanitized, and reintroduced into circulation — cutting costs and conserving resources.
- Data-driven efficiency: Asset-tracking, route optimization, and real-time analytics now help companies minimize idle time, energy use, and empty miles. This digital layer turns supply chains into living systems capable of adjusting in real time to reduce waste.
- Waste-to-value innovation: From converting organic by-products into bio-gas to capturing carbon from industrial emissions, entire industries are learning to turn yesterday’s waste into tomorrow’s resource.
These practices are setting the stage for a truly circular economy — one in which the concept of “waste” is designed out of the system altogether.
Still, among the unsung heroes of this transition, is a humble and often-overlooked element of every supply chain: The pallet.
Pallets: Small Platforms, Big Impact
It’s estimated that more than 2 billion pallets are in circulation across North America alone. They form the literal foundation of global commerce—supporting the movement of nearly every product we use, from food and pharmaceuticals to electronics and building materials. Given their ubiquity, it’s no surprise that pallets have become a prime target for zero-waste thinking.
The traditional wooden pallet remains the workhorse of industry — and, surprisingly, one of the more sustainable packaging components available.
After all, wood is renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. When managed responsibly, wood pallets have a long lifecycle: They can be repaired multiple times, then ground into mulch, animal bedding, or fuel pellets when no longer fit for reuse. In fact, more than 95% of wooden pallets are recovered, repaired, or recycled at the end of their useful life, making them one of the most successfully recycled industrial products in the modern economy. (Hear about some of the innovative recycling strategies some of our supplier-partners are engaging in, in this subject matter expert video from Ongweoweh Account Manager, Bill Hardy.)
And what about plastic pallets, which are gaining ground in sectors where hygiene, durability, and longevity are critical, such as food and pharmaceutical logistics? These pallets have implicit sustainability benefits in their own right, since they last for years, withstand hundreds of trips, and can be fully recycled into new pallets or other industrial products once retired.
Last but not least, a growing number of companies are also experimenting with hybrid and recycled-material pallets, combining wood fiber, resin, and other recovered materials to balance performance with environmental responsibility. Some manufacturers even offer pallets made from 100% recycled plastic, closing the loop on materials that might otherwise have entered the waste stream.
Smarter Systems for a Zero-Waste Future
True progress toward zero waste isn’t just about the pallet itself — it’s about how pallets are managed.
Advanced pooling/recovery and tracking now enable companies to maintain shared fleets of reusable pallets that circulate among manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.
Whether achieved by bar-codes or RFID chips, allowing pallets to be traced through every point in its journey, today’s increasingly sophisticated pallet tracking systems are helping supply chains to prevent loss, reduce overproduction, and ensure that pallets are returned, repaired, and redeployed efficiently.
It’s an elegant example of how data and design can combine to minimize waste while maximizing value.
Guided by sustainability goals – and, in our case, motivated by founding principles like the Seventh Generation philosophy – supply chain innovators are moving closer and closer to the zero-waste ideal, by implementing these circular strategies — optimizing asset utilization, reducing unnecessary manufacturing, and landfill diversion. Even seemingly simple steps, such as sorting and segregating damaged pallets for repair rather than disposal, can yield significant environmental and financial benefits.
A Platform for Generational Impact
Ultimately, the journey toward zero waste isn’t about perfection: It’s about progress.
Every reclaimed pallet, every repaired crate, every recovered pound of material is a small but meaningful step toward a system that respects resources and supports sustainability for generations to come.
Pallets may not be glamorous, but they embody the principles that will define the next era of supply chain management. As global commerce continues to evolve, it’s clear that the path to zero waste will literally be built on the same sturdy platforms that move the world’s goods every day. Need help moving your company closer to “zero waste?”
Ongweoweh can help! Learn about our more sustainable pallet procurement and management offerings here. Then contact us to initiate a site review, pallet audit, and quote.