Pallet Reuse and Sustainability
A plain-language look at how wood pallets are reused, repaired, and recycled, and what that can mean for waste.
Request a Quote
Fill out the form and a partner supplier will follow up with a customized quote.
Four Ways Wood Pallets Stay in Use
Wood pallets are built to be reused and repaired. Reusing a pallet avoids building a new one, and the options below keep wood in use for longer.
Reuse
A pallet in good condition can go straight back into use
Repair
Replacing broken boards can return a damaged pallet to service
Regrind
Wood that can't be repaired can often be ground into mulch or fuel
Recover
Usable boards and metal fasteners can be salvaged from broken pallets
Why Pallet Reuse
Is Worth Considering
Wood pallets are everywhere in shipping and storage, and a pallet that is thrown away after one trip is lumber that was harvested, milled, and built for a very short job. Pallets that are discarded can end up in a landfill, where the wood takes up space and breaks down slowly.
Building a new pallet takes lumber, energy, and transportation. Reusing a pallet avoids building a new one, and repairing a damaged pallet can keep it in service for additional trips.
When a pallet finally reaches the end of its life, the wood can often be ground into mulch or fuel, depending on the recycler. How much of a pallet is recovered depends on the supplier, so it is reasonable to ask.
A New Pallet
Requires harvesting, milling, transportation, and assembly
A Reused Pallet
Requires collection, inspection, and sometimes minor repair
A Landfilled Pallet
Usable wood ends up buried rather than reused or recovered
The Lifecycle of a Recycled Pallet
This is how pallet recyclers commonly handle a pallet, from collection to final recovery. Details differ from supplier to supplier.
Collection
Used and discarded pallets are collected from warehouses, manufacturers, and distribution centers. Some suppliers offer pickup, and availability depends on the supplier and your location.
Sorting & Grading
Recyclers typically inspect and sort pallets by size and condition. They look at structural integrity, dimensions, and wear to decide the best path: direct reuse, repair, or material recovery.
Repair & Refurbishment
Pallets with minor damage can be repaired, often using boards salvaged from other pallets. Repair extends a pallet's life and reduces the need to build a new one from fresh lumber.
Redistribution
Repaired and graded pallets return to the supply chain and are sold to businesses that need pallets for shipping or storage. Pricing is by quote from the supplier.
Material Recovery
Pallets beyond repair can be broken down. Usable lumber may be salvaged for repairs, and remaining wood can often be ground into mulch, animal bedding, or biomass fuel, depending on the recycler.
Practical Ways to Reduce Pallet Waste
Beyond buying recycled, there are several practical steps a business can take, and questions it can ask a supplier.
Efficient Routing
Suppliers that combine pickups and deliveries on the same route can cut empty miles. Ask a supplier whether pickup of your used pallets can be paired with a delivery.
Reclaimed Lumber for Repairs
Repairs made with boards salvaged from irreparable pallets mean fewer new boards need to be cut. Ask whether a supplier's repaired pallets use reclaimed lumber.
Mulch & Biomass Conversion
Wood that cannot be reused as a pallet can often be ground into mulch for landscaping or processed into biomass fuel, depending on the recycler and local outlets.
Metal Recovery
Nails and fasteners removed from broken pallets can often be separated and sent for scrap metal recycling, depending on the recycler.
Donation and Repurposing
Some used pallets can be donated or repurposed for projects such as garden beds and storage. Check that a pallet is clean and untreated with chemicals before reusing it this way.
Right-Sizing Your Order
Matching pallet grade and size to the job avoids paying for more pallet than you need. A lower grade can be enough for internal storage or one-way shipping.
Questions to Ask a Supplier
Phoenix Pallet Recycling passes your request to partner suppliers, and each supplier handles pallets in its own way. If reuse matters to you, ask the supplier that follows up what it does with pallets it cannot repair, and whether it repairs and resells pallets or only sells new ones.
Claims about environmental benefits are only as good as the supplier behind them. Ask for specifics, and be cautious about broad statements that a pallet or a process is entirely waste-free or has no environmental impact.
If you are selling or recycling surplus pallets, ask whether the supplier accepts mixed grades, whether it can pick up from your location, and how it handles pallets it cannot reuse.
What Happens When a Pallet Is Thrown Away
Sending a usable pallet to a landfill has costs beyond the wood itself. Here are the main ones to keep in mind.
Decomposition in a Landfill
Wood buried in a landfill breaks down without much oxygen, a process that can produce methane, a greenhouse gas. Keeping wood in use or converting it to mulch or fuel avoids sending it there.
Lost Lumber Value
A pallet contains a meaningful amount of usable lumber. When the pallet is landfilled, that lumber can no longer be salvaged for repairs, remanufactured into other products, or processed into mulch or biomass.
Hauling and Disposal
Discarded pallets have to be hauled to disposal sites, which uses fuel and often costs the business that is getting rid of them. Selling or recycling surplus pallets can offset or avoid that cost, depending on the supplier.
Landfill Space
Wood pallets are bulky, even when crushed. Diverting them to reuse or recycling leaves landfill space for materials that have no other use.
Treated or Painted Wood
Pallets treated with chemical preservatives, paint, or stains need careful handling. Methyl bromide is not generally used on pallets today, since ISPM 15 treatment is typically heat, but older or unmarked pallets can differ. Ask a recycler how it handles treated pallets.
Lost Reuse Trips
A pallet that could be repaired and reused is cut short when it is thrown away. Repair and reuse keep the same pallet working for more trips.