Storage.com
Clear the clutter. Keep what matters.
Compare U.S. storage units for the furniture and seasonal gear you want to keep after a cleanout.
Compare nearby storage unitsWood recycling
How to Recycle Wood Pallets
Check local acceptanceRepairable standard pallets often trade in a low single-digit dollar range each; recyclers may pay or charge depending on market and pickupLast reviewed July 31, 2026
Quick answer
Reuse or repair wooden pallets first, then call a pallet recycler for broken stock that gets remanufactured or chipped. Read the stamp: HT means heat treatment; MB means methyl bromide fumigation (avoid for DIY). Return blue CHEP and red PECO rentals; they are not scrap. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
- Typical value
- Repairable standard pallets often trade in a low single-digit dollar range each; recyclers may pay or charge depending on market and pickup
- Donate / take-back
- Available
Wooden shipping pallets from freight and logistics. Hierarchy is reuse and repair, then remanufacture, then chip for mulch, bedding, or biomass. EPA's 2018 MSW wood recycling (3.1 million tons, 17.1%) is largely pallet-driven packaging wood.
Where to Recycle
- Pallet repair and recycling companies (often with pickup)
- C&D wood processors
- Mulch producers accepting clean pallet chips
- Businesses buying used pallets for shipping
How to Prepare
- 1Inspect for HT (heat treated) vs MB (methyl bromide) stamps on international pallets
- 2Separate repairable pallets from broken ones
- 3Remove plastic wrap, labels, and loose strapping
- 4Reject or isolate pallets with chemical spills, heavy paint, or unknown contamination
- 5Stack by size (common 48x40 and other footprints)
- 6Return branded rental pallets (CHEP blue, PECO red) to the owner network
Special Instructions
ISPM-15 HT marks mean the wood was heated for pest control (core 56°C for at least 30 minutes); HT is not a chemical preservative like CCA. MB marks mean methyl bromide fumigation; avoid those for furniture or garden DIY. KD (kiln-dried) is a moisture mark, not the same as HT. Never burn painted, stained, treated, or unknown pallets. Food-contact DIY (cutting boards, edible raised beds) is a poor use of pallets with unknown cargo history even when stamped HT.
Environmental Impact
EPA 2018: 3.1 million tons of MSW wood recycled at a 17.1% rate, mostly wood packaging such as pallets chipped for mulch or bedding (fuel excluded from that recycling figure). A separate NWPCA / Virginia Tech landfill-avoidance study for 2016 estimated about 95% of pallets avoided landfill under that industry method, with roughly 25 million pallets landfilled that year, far below older unverified landfill-count claims. Do not mix those two rate definitions.
Sustainable Alternatives
- Sell or give away sound pallets to local buyers
- Professional repair and remanufacture
- Non-food DIY projects only from clean HT or domestic untreated pallets
- Chip markets via pallet recyclers for broken stock
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Accepted
- Standard and custom wooden shipping pallets in reusable or chip condition
- Heat-treated (HT) pallets free of spills and heavy coatings
- Pallet stringers, deck boards, and skids of clean wood
- Broken pallets for remanufacture or grinding
Not Accepted
- Blue CHEP and red PECO rental pallets taken as scrap (return them)
- MB-stamped pallets for DIY furniture or garden projects
- Pallets with hazardous spills or unknown chemical contamination
- Heavily painted pallets mixed into clean mulch feedstock
Donation & Take‑Back Options
Estimated value: Repairable standard pallets often trade in a low single-digit dollar range each; recyclers may pay or charge depending on market and pickup
Manufacturer/Retail Take‑Back
Hazardous Components
- Methyl bromide residues on MB-stamped stock
- Cargo spill residues (oils, pesticides, solvents)
- Lead or unknown coatings on painted pallets
FAQs
What do HT and MB stamps mean?
HT is heat treatment for international solid-wood packaging pests. MB is methyl bromide fumigation. Prefer HT (and still check for spills or paint) for DIY. Avoid MB for furniture and garden projects. KD is kiln-dried moisture control, not HT.
How many pallets still go to landfill?
Industry landfill-avoidance research around 2016 put landfilled pallets near 25 million per year under that study's method, far below older unverified landfill-count claims. EPA's separate MSW figure is tons of wood recycled (3.1M in 2018), not a pallet-count landfill total.
Can I burn old pallets?
Only if you are certain they are untreated and unpainted, and local rules allow it. When the history is unknown, do not burn them. Painted, stained, MB-treated, or chemically contaminated pallets can release harmful smoke.
Why can't I keep blue or red pallets?
Those colors usually mark pooled rental assets (CHEP blue, PECO red). Taking them as free scrap is theft of leased equipment. Use unmarked brown pallets or buy from a recycler.
Related recycling guides
Recycle wood pallets
Search recycling centers by city or ZIP, or explore more wood materials.