Focus on recycling and circular economy continues to pay dividends

Willmott Dixon has now returned more than 62,000 pallets for reuse via The Pallet LOOP in a move that's prevented the equivalent of 12,500m³ of waste wood heading into skips from its sites and resulted in an estimated £250,000 reduction in waste disposal costs.

The news comes as use of The Pallet LOOP increases across UK construction. The company’s bright green reusable pallets first entered the market in May 2024 and are now being used to transport materials from British Gypsum, Isover, Superglass and Wienerberger.

Willmott Dixon was an early adopter of The Pallet LOOP’s pallet collection service, which first started picking up white pallets from building sites in early 2021.

In 2024, The Pallet LOOP collected 15,846 pallets (white and green) from over 70 Willmott Dixon sites. This diverted 222 tonnes of wood waste and cut 789kg of carbon from the company’s operational emissions, while saving it £69,333 in waste disposal costs.

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Willmott Dixon’s use of The Pallet LOOP is part of its drive to reduce the amount of avoidable waste sent to landfill by 2030 under its Now or Never sustainability strategy. With the construction sector currently using around 20 million new pallets each year for material transportation, initiatives like The Pallet LOOP’s reusable pallets and nationwide pallet collection are helping Willmott Dixon reduce avoidable wood waste and save money – with the bonus of a pay back of up to £4 available on every green pallet returned for reuse.

Charlie Law, Head of Sustainability at The Pallet LOOP:

“Willmott Dixon has shown real leadership and has returned more pallets than any other contractor since we started The Pallet LOOP collection service. They are showing what can be achieved by making it simple for people across their business to do the right thing and use The Pallet LOOP.”

Julia Barrett, Chief Sustainability and Compliance Officer at Willmott Dixon:

“Our work with The Pallet LOOP shows a circular economy approach isn’t just good for the planet – it's also good for business. By keeping pallets in circulation for longer, we’re reducing our environmental impact while improving operational efficiencies.

For more information about The Pallet LOOP go to: www.thepalletloop.com. Alternatively, email setmeup@thepalletloop.com or call 0800 024 6130 to get in the LOOP and registered for pallet collections.