Kamps, Inc., the nation’s leader in Comprehensive Pallet Life-Cycle Services™ is pleased to announce the release of our 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. This is the third year in a row we are reporting on our environmental impacts, and the first year we are reporting on our broader impact as an organization in Employee Safety, Technological Advancements, Corporate Giving, and Local Community Involvement. Our Corporate Social Responsibility report is the next step in evolving our Green Scorecard initiatives, ensuring that we are tracking, reporting, and making actionable progress on items that our stakeholders deeply care about.
The Importance of Our Corporate Social Responsibility Report
As an organization that has such a profound impact on supply chains and communities across the nation, Kamps values the role we play in our stakeholders’ well-being. Our CSR report is important because it allows us to quantify this role and back our claims with the latest research and analysis. It also serves as a vital exercise for our internal teams to take a step back and assess the impact they make on our key stakeholders and build future strategies around the results.
Last, as a customer-focused organization, Kamps is particularly attentive to the role we play in our customers’ stories. Our CSR assures our customers that we are aligned with their aspirations and philosophies.
Read Our Corporate Social Responsibility Report
The world around us continues to change, find out how Kamps’ innovative spirit is helping us meet sustainability goals and how we can help your organization reach its own.
Key Highlights From Our Environmental Sustainability Report
2023 Carbon Footprint and Handprint Analysis & Methodology Improvements
While recognizing the size and scale of our business operations, Kamps conducted a carbon footprint assessment to understand our carbon impact. Our operational carbon footprint analysis revealed that during the calendar year 2023, Kamps emitted 64,978 metric tons of CO2-e.
In previous years, we calculated electricity usage based on spend and used approximations to calculate usage. For 2023, we made a conscious effort to improve the accuracy of our data and worked with utility partners to access exact usage numbers for our locations. For our mobile sources calculations, we also transitioned away from EPA guides and instead use Greenhouse Gas Protocol tools, a more widely used greenhouse gas accounting standard globally.
To paint a true picture of our carbon emission offsets in relation to our footprint, Kamps also conducted a carbon handprint analysis specific to our company-owned facilities, considering pallet life-cycle usage – using the 2020 UL Certified EPD as guidance.
Kamps utilized the latest research available to calculate the baseline emissions associated with manufacturing virgin pallets and assumed that a new wooden stringer pallet would last approximately 24 trips. Based on Kamps’ refurbishment process, it has been assumed that a remanufactured pallet (i.e., a pallet built from ‘like-new’ components) and a refurbished like-new pallet (i.e., a pallet that requires minimal repairs) will have the same trip life as a new wooden pallet and that a refurbished pallet will last half the trip life of a new pallet. Kamps has estimated that by recycling 202M+ pallets through our Kamps-owned and operated facilities in 2023 (which displaces the need to procure a new pallet) and forecasting over a 24-trip period, which represents the useful life of a new wooden pallet, our business contributes to the avoidance of over 862,750 metric tons CO2-e of GHG emissions over this timeframe. By producing close to 1M cubic yards of mulch from scrap pallet pieces, Kamps avoided approximately 3,000 metric tons CO2-e of GHG.
Green Energy Report
Kamps seeks to extend the life of our products as much as possible while finding the most environmentally friendly “End of Life” disposal process. One of our strategic “End of Life” disposal processes is the creation of Green Energy (i.e. renewable sources such as Biofuel). To achieve this, we transfer ground scrap pallets to co-generation plants that power municipalities, schools, and more. As an example, one of the co-generation plants that accept our Biofuel in Michigan can produce approximately 650 kWh of energy per ton of Biofuel, resulting in over 27,039 MWh of energy produced in 2023.
A secondary source that produces energy is our wooden pellet products. Wooden pellets are a low-carbon heating alternative to charcoal, natural gas, and heating oil.
Our wooden pellets are created from scrap pallets and wood waste that arrives or is generated in our facilities. Because our pellets are manufactured from these sources, research shows that they have a carbon benefit when compared to common fossil-derived fuel sources, with each production scenario delivering at least a 65% reduction in carbon intensity.
In 2023, Kamps produced over 70,000 tons of wooden pellets, which creates enough energy to heat 24,000 homes for an entire year.
Employee Safety
The safety and well-being of our employees is a top priority.
In 2023, we put forth several initiatives that successfully helped lower our TRIR and further engrain a “Safety First” mentality into our culture.
One of the key initiatives that helped drive these results was a revamped standardized quarterly site assessment of all facilities.
The assessment program rated all facilities on a 1-5 scale, ranging from “Unacceptable” to “World Class”. KPIs that affected the rating of a facility included “Kamps Behavioral Safety Standards”, OSHA compliance, and Plant Professionalism Standards. A requirement of all assessments is a corrective action plan, with specific countermeasures for each observed infraction in any category.
Additional Resources to Download
Our Green Scorecard Initiatives Explained
Let’s Build a Sustainable Future Together
Click to contact one of our pallet experts today to see if Kamps can help your organization build a more sustainable supply chain.
