Reusing and Recycling Plastic Pallets

Recycling is an important way that we can work together to help protect our environment.

Unfortunately, some materials can be very difficult to recycle, depending on the facilities and services available in a particular area. Recycled materials are used in a variety of products, with sometimes hilarious results. There are many options when it comes to recycled plastic pallets.

Once they have been cleaned or sterilized plastic pallets can be used over and over again. Often it is not necessary to use strong solvents to clean the pallets. It will, however, sometimes be necessary depending on the resources of the customer and the types of materials that have been transported. With corrugated pallets, they can either be reused in a future shipment or flattened and either sent to the recycling plant or to a storage facility for later use.

You can purchase either used or new wood pallets. Recycled pallet suppliers will evaluate them and then list them in their catalog with an accurate description. A premium grade of recycled wood pallet has had little repairs and almost no defects. A grade A pallet has had a stringer that has been replaced or fixed using a metal plate. Any damaged deck boards have also been replaced on a grade A pallet. With grade B pallets you are likely to find reinforcing stringers, which are sometimes called doubles or companions. It is also likely that the deck boards have been repaired several times.

A Place for Grade C Pallets
It is hard to sell grade C pallets, as they have been repaired so many times that they are often no longer structurally sound. You can keep these pallets out of the landfill by crushing and grinding them and using a magnetic process to remove any metal fragments and nails. This ground up pallet material may even end up being used as fuel. Other uses for it include being used as bedding or litter for livestock or poultry. There are other possible uses as well, depending on whether or not the pallets have been used around toxic materials including pesticides.

There is a SmartWood program that certifies rediscovered wood that meets particular standards that is offered through the Rainforest Alliance. This certified wood is used to make pallets, flooring, and cabinets, as well as other products. You can extend the life of the worlds trees and keep wood out of landfills by purchasing recycled wood products.

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