Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by Up to 80% per Pallet with KraftPal
As companies accelerate their transition toward lower-carbon supply chains, logistics teams are under increasing pressure to reduce emissions without increasing operational costs. One of the fastest and most practical opportunities sits inside a part of the supply chain that is often overlooked: the pallet.
KraftPal's lightweight corrugated pallets offer a sustainable alternative to conventional wooden pallets, helping companies reduce transport-related carbon emissions, lower pallet weight, improve recyclability and support global sustainability goals such as the Paris Agreement.
Why Pallet Weight Matters
Every shipment consumes energy. Every kilogram transported affects fuel usage, emissions and logistics costs.
Because KraftPal corrugated pallets are up to 80% lighter than conventional EUR1 wooden pallets, companies can reduce fuel consumption and significantly lower their carbon footprint across road, sea and air transport.
For companies using high pallet volumes, the impact can become substantial. A business using 100,000 EUR1 pallets per year can generate meaningful reductions in CO₂ emissions and, depending on the market, potential savings linked to carbon pricing or internal carbon accounting.
Carbon Tax and Cost Reduction Potential
Carbon pricing is becoming increasingly relevant for companies worldwide. Several European countries already apply carbon taxes, while many global corporations use internal carbon pricing to prepare for future climate regulation.
For example, a company in Sweden using 100,000 EUR1 wooden pallets per year over a transport distance of approximately 1,230 km could generate around 230 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. At a Swedish carbon tax rate of €115 per tonne, this would represent approximately €26,450 in carbon-related cost exposure.
By switching to KraftPal EUR1 corrugated pallets, emissions can be reduced by up to 80%, lowering the comparable carbon cost exposure to approximately €4,600.
In air freight, the savings potential can be even greater due to the direct relationship between weight, fuel consumption and emissions.
The Need for Sustainable Pallet Alternatives
The global pallet market continues to grow, driven by international trade, e-commerce and expanding logistics networks. Wooden pallets still dominate the market, and a significant portion is used for one-way transport.
This creates several environmental challenges:
high timber consumption,
deforestation pressure,
increased transport weight,
higher fuel consumption,
disposal and landfill issues,
more complex recycling compared with fibre-based materials.
KraftPal addresses these challenges with a pallet system designed for modern one-way logistics: lightweight, recyclable, hygienic and compatible with existing supply chain infrastructure.
Protecting Forests Through Material Efficiency
Forests play a critical role in absorbing carbon dioxide, supporting biodiversity and regulating climate systems. Reducing unnecessary wood consumption is therefore an important part of responsible supply chain management.
KraftPal pallets are made from FSC-certified corrugated cardboard sourced from responsible paper suppliers such as DS Smith and Stora Enso.
The resource efficiency is significant: while one average tree may produce approximately 6 wooden pallets, the same amount of fibre can produce around 24 corrugated pallets. This means corrugated pallets can deliver roughly 4 times more pallet output from the same natural resource base.
Lower Emissions During Production
The production phase also shows a clear advantage for corrugated pallets.
According to KraftPal's Life Cycle Assessment data, producing one KraftPal corrugated pallet emits approximately 2.21 kg CO₂e, compared with around 5.00 kg CO₂e for a conventional wooden pallet.
That represents a production-stage emissions reduction of approximately 55.7%.
Wooden pallets also require nails, which add material complexity and energy intensity. KraftPal corrugated pallets avoid this issue through fibre-based engineering and water-based adhesives.
Transportation Efficiency
The largest emissions benefit comes during product use.
Because KraftPal pallets are significantly lighter, they reduce the energy required to transport goods. Depending on the transport mode, KraftPal's LCA data indicates potential CO₂e reductions of approximately 81.8% to 83.3% during the transport phase.
This matters across every logistics channel:
road freight,
sea freight,
air freight,
export logistics,
warehouse distribution,
one-way supply chains.
For air freight, the weight advantage becomes especially powerful. KraftPal airfreight pallets can reduce pallet-related CO₂e emissions by approximately 82.2% compared with wooden alternatives.
For sea freight, KraftPal corrugated pallets can reduce pallet-related CO₂e emissions from approximately 1.1 kg CO₂e per wooden pallet to around 0.2 kg CO₂e per KraftPal pallet, mainly due to lower transport weight.
End-of-Life Advantage: Recyclability
At the end of their lifecycle, KraftPal corrugated pallets offer a major sustainability advantage.
Because they are fibre-based, they can be recycled through existing paper and cardboard recycling infrastructure. KraftPal estimates recycling rates above 99% in suitable markets, allowing pallet materials to re-enter the circular economy as new paper-based products.
Wooden pallet recycling is often more complicated due to nails, mixed materials, contamination and handling requirements. In many one-way applications, wooden pallets are discarded, stored, burned or sent to landfill.
Total Lifecycle Impact
Across the full lifecycle, KraftPal's corrugated pallets show a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional wooden pallets.
According to KraftPal's LCA data:
KraftPal corrugated pallet: 2.61 kg CO₂e
Conventional wooden pallet: 7.31 kg CO₂e
This represents an overall lifecycle reduction of approximately 64.3%.
In the transport phase specifically, reductions can reach more than 80%, depending on pallet type, transport distance and logistics mode.
Supporting Corporate Sustainability Goals
For companies working toward ESG targets, Scope 3 emissions reduction, circular economy strategies or net-zero commitments, pallet choice can become a practical and measurable improvement.
KraftPal pallets help businesses:
reduce transport weight,
lower carbon emissions,
improve recyclability,
reduce raw material consumption,
simplify one-way logistics,
support internal carbon accounting,
align with sustainability reporting requirements.
The Future Arrives on a KraftPal Pallet
Sustainable logistics is no longer a future concept. It is becoming a business requirement.
KraftPal's corrugated pallets are not only an alternative to wooden pallets; they represent a practical step toward lower-carbon, more efficient and more circular supply chains.
By reducing weight, improving recyclability and lowering lifecycle emissions, KraftPal enables companies to make an immediate operational change with measurable environmental impact.
For businesses ready to reduce their carbon footprint, improve logistics efficiency and support a greener future, the opportunity can begin with one pallet.
