Pallet Sustainability
Reusing, repairing, and recycling pallets keeps wood in use longer and out of landfills. Here is how it works and how your business can take part.
Request Recycled Pallets or Pallet Recycling
Tell us what you need and we will pass your request to a partner supplier in our network.
Why Pallet Reuse Matters
The environmental benefits of reused and recycled pallets come from a few simple effects.
Less New Lumber
Reusing or repairing a pallet avoids building a new one from fresh-cut wood.
Less Landfill
Pallet wood that is recycled into mulch or fuel is wood that does not end up in a landfill.
Lower Embodied Energy
Repairing a pallet typically takes far less material and processing than manufacturing a new one.
Often Lower Cost
Recycled pallets are often less expensive than new ones, though prices vary by supplier, size, and grade.
The Circular Economy of Pallets
The idea behind a circular economy is to keep materials in use for as long as possible. In a linear model, raw materials are extracted, made into products, used, and thrown away. A circular model keeps those materials cycling through reuse, repair, and recycling before anything is discarded.
Wood pallets are a good example. A well-built pallet can move through many shipments, be repaired more than once, and, when it can no longer carry a load, its wood can still be used for other products. Pallet suppliers and recyclers in San Diego County play a central part in that loop by collecting, sorting, repairing, and reselling used pallets.
What Happens to a Used Pallet
Depending on its condition and the supplier handling it, a used pallet typically ends up in one of these channels.
Repair and Reuse
Pallets with minor damage can often be repaired by replacing cracked boards or re-securing loose ones, then put back into service.
Component Recovery
Pallets too damaged to repair can be dismantled so usable boards and blocks can be used to repair other pallets.
Mulch and Landscape Products
Clean, untreated pallet wood can be ground into mulch for landscaping and erosion control.
Animal Bedding
Some clean softwood from pallets can be processed into shavings for animal bedding.
Biomass Fuel
Wood that is not suitable for other uses can be used as biomass fuel to generate energy.
Reclaimed Wood
Boards with character are sometimes sold for furniture, decor, and DIY projects.
Interested in reclaimed boards? See reclaimed wood products. To have pallets collected, see pallet recycling.
Forests, Landfills, and Pallets
Building pallets takes a lot of lumber. Every pallet that is reused or repaired instead of replaced reduces demand for new pallet lumber.
At the other end of the life cycle, wood that is buried in a landfill can break down without oxygen and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Recycling pallet wood into mulch, bedding, or fuel gives it a useful second life instead.
Choosing recycled pallets doesn't require new technology or major investment. It usually means picking a suitable recycled grade over a new pallet and making sure your surplus pallets go back into circulation rather than into the trash.
Practical Ways to Reduce Pallet Waste
A few changes in how your business buys and handles pallets can make a real difference.
Choose recycled where it fits
For many warehouse and shipping uses, a Grade A or Grade B recycled pallet performs the job just as well as a new one.
Standardize on common sizes
Standard sizes like the 48×40 GMA pallet are the easiest to reuse, resell, and recycle.
Sort and store pallets carefully
Keeping pallets off wet ground and stacked neatly reduces damage and makes them more likely to be reusable.
Arrange regular collection
Scheduled pickups for surplus and damaged pallets keep them moving back into the supply chain instead of piling up or going to the dumpster.
Ask where pallets go
When you hand pallets off, ask the supplier what happens to them: repair, resale, component reuse, or recycling.
For ongoing needs, ask a partner supplier in our network about scheduled pickups and deliveries. See how the process works.
Put Your Pallets Back Into Circulation
Whether you want recycled pallets or need surplus pallets collected, send us a request and a partner supplier in our network will follow up.