Wooden pallet has 25% less environmental impact than plastic

Analysis of NIBE shows: 

Wooden pallet has25% less environmental impact than plastic pallet.

Commissioned by the EPV, the trade association for manufacturers of wooden packaging, dealers and repairers, the independent Dutch Institute for Building Biology and Ecology (NIBE) Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), assessing the environmental impact of wooden pallets and plastic HDPE pallets compared. 

Different phases of the life cycle are tested in LCA: production (including extraction of raw materials), delivery, use and processing phase (recycling, reuse, incineration, landfill). Different types of pallets were compared. The most fair comparison is between the best performing wood, returnable pallet (EPAL pallet) with bobbins, and best performing plastic pallet, made ​​of 100% secondary material. 

The sum of all phases (life) and the measured environmental impacts shows that the wooden pallet has 25% less environmental impact than the plastic pallet. If you get the wooden pallet with compressed bobbins compares it with the same plastic pallet, the difference is also still 15% in favor of wood.