This autumn, JK Pallets heads to the Resource and Waste Management Expo at the NEC in Birmingham. It’s part of the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo – four shows in all over 13-14 September that bring together industry experts, policymakers and businesses working towards net zero, whether they’re in manufacturing, construction, distribution, waste management, recycling, water, or energy.

For us, it’s a chance to meet customers old and new and to showcase the sustainability at the heart of our business model as a provider of used pallets. In line with our ambitions, we want to minimize our impact on the planet by building sustainable practices into every element of our business. RWM Expo is a great place to explore ways of innovating and improving what we already do.

The scale of trade expos can be overwhelming, so if you’re joining us in Birmingham, we’ve picked out a few panels, products and services that might help your business meet its targets.

Our pick of the panels at RWM Expo

We’ve circled a few events that have grabbed our attention. (It’s worth noting that all content sessions at RWM Expo are CPD accredited. More detail on how to get your CPD points here.)

· The Wood Waste Industry and its Future speaks to us for obvious reasons, with DEFRA, the Wood Recyclers’ Association, and industry experts on the panel. We’re expecting to build on what we already know about biomass, resource recovery, and recycling, and to learn more about how we can contribute to a circular economy.

· We all know that sustainability isn’t the icing on the cake: we need to bake it into everything we do from the outset. Sustainability in action: embedding net zero into culture, processing and decision making should give us plenty of practical ideas.

· We’re also interested in hearing what Abbey Dorian from BSI has to say about The SME Journey to Net Zero: Steps to take and tools to support SMEs in achieving net zero.

Products, technologies, and services for sustainable business

With over 800 stands across four shows, we’re not endorsing any particular products or services, just highlighting a few fellow exhibitors that offer solutions to the problems – big and small – our businesses might face, like

· Route optimization software from Integrated Skills (Stand R-G40) to help minimize fuel use

· an AdBlue box that uses 90% less plastic than rigid packaging (Stand R-K100)

· industrial electric vehicles to take diesel out of our fleets completely, like Bradshaw EV (Stand LR62) and Electra Commercial Vehicles (Stand LR56)

· PVC scrap recycling, like Vinyl Recycling

· Carbon footprint consultants Auditel, who can help you work towards net zero.

Alongside the team at JK Pallets, there’ll be plenty of Merseyside innovators and entrepreneurs committed to sustainability, like Oil Salvage (Stand R-L329), who collect waste oil and re-refine it so it can be used again, or PIN IoT (R-J142) and their digital tracking system for waste operations, or Weirbags, (Stand R-H84) who produce industrial sacks, bags, packaging and recycling products.

Business and social impact

We’re also keen to learn from businesses and organizations with social impact at the core, such as

· Recycling Lives (Stand R-M190) who give support, training and employment to former service personnel, ex-offenders, and people facing disadvantage

· WasteAid (Stand R-N182), who “work with communities around the world to build circular waste management & recycling systems where they are most needed,” and

· Communities Prepared (stand FD-E23 over at the Flood and Water Management Expo), which “trains and supports community volunteers nationwide to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies – from floods to pandemics.”

So, if you’re coming to RWM Expo, come and say hello at Stand R-K223. If you’re not, keep an eye on our socials and get in touch with us to find out what we learned.