Eco-Friendly Warehousing: Why Used Pallet Racks Are the Sustainable Choice

Supply chain sustainability is more than just a buzzword. Companies are looking closely at their supply chains to find more environmentally friendly solutions. Whether you want to save money by lowering energy consumption, reducing reliance on new materials and resources, or supporting the circular economy, sustainability is front and center. This includes everything from energy efficiency to storage solutions like used pallet racking.

Even if it’s not top of mind for you, it may be a priority for your customers. According to McKinsey research, 66% of consumers say they consider sustainability when making purchasing decisions, aligning themselves with brands that are compatible with their values and priorities. Your business customers may be paying closer attention as well as they need to meet sustainability goals throughout their supply chains.

How Are Warehouses Reducing Their Carbon Footprint?

For most companies, warehousing is just part of their supply chain. To meet sustainability goals, organizations need to think holistically. A carbon calculator can help you understand your carbon emissions across categories:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions
• Scope 2: Electricity and energy-related emissions
• Scope 3: Indirect emissions throughout your supply chain

Calculating your carbon footprint is more than just an exercise. It can help you set a strategy for improvements and provide data benchmarks for any reporting requirements you may have for stakeholders.

With data in hand, you can also prioritize areas for improvement. Key focal points for warehouses trying to become more eco-friendly typically include:

Energy efficiency: Using natural lights, efficient lighting, and sustainably sourced power

Automated storage systems: Adopting automation handling equipment that emits fewer gases than traditional forklift traffic

Compact storage: Investing in high-density storage systems leveraging available surface area to store more products, reducing the amount of area that requires heating and cooling

Reusable containers: Incorporating recycled plastics, recycled plastic pallets, and smarter packaging choices

Layout efficiency: Rethinking warehouse space to maximize throughput

Consider Used Pallet Racks

When you think about environmentally friendly products, you typically think of higher costs. However, used pallet racking has a clear economic advantage. You often see prices that are 30% to 50% lower. Used racks are also readily available, eliminating the need for rush orders and emissions from expedited deliveries.

The simple fact is that choosing used pallet racking saves you money versus buying new and also contributes to a more sustainable supply chain.

Reducing Waste

When you purchase used pallet racks, you're extending the lifecycle of existing materials. Instead of discarding old racks into landfills, buying used systems promotes their reuse, aligning with the principles of the circular economy. This approach minimizes waste, conserves raw materials, and reduces the demand for manufacturing new racks—an energy-intensive process with a significant carbon footprint.

Lowering Carbon Emissions

The production of new pallet racks involves mining raw materials, transporting them to manufacturing facilities, and using energy-intensive processes to fabricate and finish them. By opting for used racks, warehouses can bypass this entire production cycle, drastically reducing the emissions associated with the creation and transportation of new materials.

Conserving Resources

Steel is a primary material in pallet racks, and it requires substantial energy and natural resources to produce. Used pallet racks reduce the demand for new steel production, conserving resources and lowering the environmental toll from mining and refining.

Other Benefits of Used Pallet Racking

Besides saving money and helping meet sustainability goals, used pallet racking offers operational benefits. For example, pre-owned racks are often already assembled or require minimal setup. This can significantly speed up your installation time or reduce disruption to your current operation.

You can also get used pallet racks in various sizes and configurations, making them adaptable to most existing warehouse layouts.

If you work with a reputable supplier like Conesco Storage Systems, you can make sure you get pallet racks that meet standards for safety and durability. As one of the nation’s largest warehouse liquidators in the country, Conesco has broad access to used pallet racks and material handling equipment to meet your warehouse needs.

New or Used? Let’s Talk.

Used equipment is not the right fit for every situation, however. Connect with the pallet racking and material handling experts at Conesco Storage Systems for a free consultation. We can help you find the right type of equipment—new or used—for your warehouse. We also provide professional labor for installation or reconfiguration, warehouse layout planning, engineering (including stamped engineering drawings), and permitting if required.

Contact Conesco Storage Systems at (303) 690-9591 and let’s talk about your warehouse storage needs.