Collaboration and Data Key to Timber Industry

Collaboration between different sector organisations is increasingly important to achieving shared targets for the timber industry, according to John Dye, President of the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON).

At the general meeting of TIMCON members, held in Manchester in January, Dye said strong relationships with international and domestic associations including European Federation of Pallet & Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB), National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA), National Association of Pallet Distributors (NAPD), Timber Development UK (TDUK), Wood Panel Industries Federation (WPIF), and the Wood Recyclers Association (WRA) – which were all represented at the event – are vital to progressing the interests of timber-based businesses. This included cooperating on policy matters affecting the industry such as the PPWR and working together to source high quality data to inform better decision making for the business.

NWPCA Vice President of Public Affairs Jason Ortega, echoed the theme of international partnerships as he presented an update on his organisation’s activities. This includes a new carbon calculator it has developed and from which it will share learnings as TIMCON embarks on a similar initiative to help its membership meet increasing sustainability obligations.

Marcus Kirschner of the German Wood Packaging Federation (HPE) and FEFPEB’s PPWR Committee said working with national organisations across Europe is a central part in lobbying EU
policymakers. This includes ensuring they understand that the wooden packaging and pallet industry is naturally sustainable and should be at the heart of its circular economy principles, and helping achieve acceptable results on PPWR.

Dye said: “Over the past decade, TIMCON has fostered close productive partnerships with our pallet and packaging industry counterparts across the world and related wood-based sectors. These relationships help us establish and communicate shared positions and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. At a time of significant international tensions, this spirit of solidarity, cooperation, and friendship helps strengthen us all, as individual businesses, as associations, and as a timber industry overall.”

He added that with TIMCON representing the UK and Ireland, its remit included members both inside and outside the EU, again highlighting the significance of working towards international solutions that benefitted all. The need for quality data on the business from within the industry was also highlighted by Guy Watt of John Clegg Consulting, who presented the findings of the UK Wood Pallets & Packaging Market in 2022. The latest edition of this annual report, which is jointly commissioned by TIMCON and Forest Research (the research arm of the Forestry Commission), showed a 7 per cent drop in production of new pallets, to 45.3million, representing a fall of approximately 3.4m pallets.

This follows the 8.3 per cent increase in pallet manufacture shown in last year’s report – and may be followed by a larger decrease for 2023. Pallet repairs, meanwhile, have risen to 48.9m, an increase of 1.7 per cent on 2021. Watt said surveys for the market report’s next edition would be issued to the membership much earlier, during February this year. This, said Dye, will allow it to be published earlier, reducing uncertainty around volumes, and helping inform discussions with Defra and other government departments.

The TIMCON meeting also featured presentations by Charlie Law, Sustainability Director for TDUK, and Nick Boulton, TDUK Head of Technical and Trade Policy. Law gave an update on the UK timber industry’s net zero action plan and the specific ways in which the pallet and packaging sector can support it. Boulton presented latest UK market industry trends, including timber imports, demand, and forecasts.