Zhang, Tingting;
(2024)
Pallets in China: an assessment of lifecycle environmental impacts and moves towards greater circularity.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Global trade has significantly reshaped both economic systems and the environment. As essential tools in the logistics industry, pallets play an important role in protecting and transporting over 80% of global trade. However, the widespread use of pallets comes with notable environmental implications. While China is the second-largest pallet holder and accounts for 25% of the global pallet holdings, it lacks an in-depth understanding on the circularity, environmental impacts, and the green transformation pathway of the pallet industry. This study evaluates the circularity of the pallet industry in China considering the complex interactions among materials, products, sectors, and waste management systems in the entire supply chain, based on field studies and material flow analysis. Additionally, it develops a comprehensive framework for the green transformation of the pallet industry, employing life cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts across five pallet types under three scenarios at product and national scales. The framework encompasses three scenarios: the pallet system as in China today, the establishment of a pallet sharing system and the adoption of circular economy (CE) strategies. Results show that (1) pre-consumer waste constitutes 36% of total inputs, generating 4.53 Mt of waste, with current waste management practices being far from circular; (2) the Chinese pallet market can achieve significant environmental impact reductions by transitioning to a pallet sharing system and CE scenario, with reductions ranging from 90% to 96%, and 94% to 108% respectively; (3) key barriers to promoting the green transformation of the pallet industry in China, such as low standardisation, insufficient recycling infrastructure, and lack of awareness, have been identified, along with tailored strategies to address these challenges. The study can help policy-makers guide joint efforts for green logistics along the supply chain and contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 12 targets
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Pallets in China: an assessment of lifecycle environmental impacts and moves towards greater circularity |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10199993 |
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