Aftermarket supply chain to save seven tonnes of plastic waste a year

Automotive parts supplier LKQ Euro Car Parts and brake experts TMD Friction are set to save seven tonnes of waste annually after co-creating a new reusable pallet wrap as an alternative to single-use plastic.

The innovation by LKQ Euro Car Parts and TMD, developed over two-years and piloted across the businesses’ mutual supply chain, can be used up to 1000 times and will save plastic waste roughly equivalent to the weight of four cars* per year.

The wrap, which is made of coated polyester mesh and polyester webbing, protects bulk stock of TMD brake pads as they’re distributed on pallets to LKQ Euro Car Parts UK wide network of logistics hubs and branches.

The partners initiated the project to help cut their own businesses’ waste, while reducing emissions in independent garages’ and workshops’ supply chains.

LKQ Euro Car Parts hopes to introduce the waste-cutting pallet wrap across its wider supply chain following the clear rewards of its pilot. As the scheme grows in the UK, the wrap is also anticipated to be extended to TMD’s European distribution centre in Romania.

Helen Robinson, corporate communications director at LKQ Euro Car Parts, said: “Businesses have a growing responsibility to ensure that their supply chains are taking a responsible approach to waste management.

“Our collaboration with TMD Friction has presented us with a new way to reduce our waste and emissions, in turn lowering the Scope 3 emissions of our customers - a great example of how ingenuity from the supply chain can make a positive difference to the environmental impact of the independent aftermarket.”

Ian Brooks, key account manager TMD Friction, said: “It’s clear that the broader warehousing and logistics industry needs to move away from its use of single-use plastic for distributing pallets of goods, as it strives to help supply chains to become more sustainable.

“LKQ Euro Car Parts’ support, as one of our principal customers, enabled us to work together in bringing forward a greener method of distributing parts to our customers, which in-turn makes them a more sustainable choice for motorists’ repair and servicing work. We look forward to continuing to develop the technology in the coming years.”

The reusable pallet wrap forms part of LKQ Euro Car Parts’ broader sustainability initiatives to increase its responsibility for the environment, its people and its communities. The supplier recently announced the launch of a new course focussed specifically on Sustainability in the Bodyshop through its LKQ Academy. Additionally, it revealed that it invested in more than 100 causes close to the heart of its UK wide branch network from its Community Branch Fund.