A pallet-able wildlife solution

Mazak partners with local environmental group to recycle spare packaging into homes for local wildlife

Yamazaki Mazak has partnered with local environmental organisation, the Worcester Environmental Group (WEG), to recycle its leftover wooden packaging into houses and feeders for local wildlife.

The manufacturer began donating wooden pallets from its European Manufacturing Plant in Worcester to the WEG following the group’s inception in June 2020. The volunteer-run organisation has since recycled the wood into bird boxes, bat boxes, hedgehog houses and feeding stations that have been used throughout Worcestershire to promote biodiversity and support the development and sustenance of local wildlife.

In a fitting culmination of the process, Mazak has also taken delivery of ten bird boxes which will be located throughout the manufacturer’s outdoor recreational and relaxation areas, ahead of the spring bird breeding season.

Paul Snookes, Co-founder of the WEG, commented: “Our birds need all the help they can get at this time of the year. There are not enough natural sites left in Worcester for birds to raise their young, so the bird boxes we make will provide a safe place to nest during the spring and summer. They are also great places for birds to roost in the colder months.

“Mazak is very much part of the fabric of the local Worcester community, and we were delighted when the company agreed to donate its excess wood. We have all come to appreciate our surroundings even more so over the past 12 months, and the partnership will go a long way towards helping us on our journey of educating the local community about the importance of biodiversity.”

Ben Thomas, Health, Safety, Environmental & Energy Manager at Yamazaki Mazak UK, added: “Mazak has always sought to ensure the company keeps its impact on the environment as low as possible. While we are certified to the ISO 50001 standard for Energy Management, and have implemented a broad range of sustainability initiatives in recent years, we will never stand still. Indeed, the events of 2020 have brought greater focus to environmental issues, so it is more important than ever before that we identify additional ways to improve overall sustainability in our operations.”

“As such, when we first came across the Worcester Environmental Group, we were immediately drawn to their cause. It’s actually quite a complicated process to dispose of pallets, so to be able to find a local and sustainable home for them solves a number of problems. It is fitting that some of the pallets have now come full circle in the form of new bird boxes for our garden areas, and I look forward to hopefully enjoying my breaks to the sound of birdsong over the coming months.”

The WEG is currently selling a variety of bird boxes for a small donation. To find out more, please visit: www.theweg.org.uk.