The path of a core
| Step | What happens | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inspect | Every pallet is looked over for cracks, rot and stamps | Decides its fate |
| 2. Sort | By size, then by condition | Keeps like with like |
| 3. Repair | Replace boards, add plugs | Produces Grade B |
| 4. Rebuild | Reuse stringers under new decks | Produces combo |
| 5. Dismantle | Recover good boards | Lumber for repairs |
| 6. Grind | Chip what is left | Mulch, composite products, biomass |
Millwood defines recycled pallets as previously used pallets that have been repaired, refurbished or remanufactured for reuse. That reuse is the point. About half a billion pallets are made each year and about two billion are in use across the United States, so recycling keeps a large stock circulating.
How to describe stock for recycling
- The count and the sizes.
- The condition: share whole, share repairable, share broken.
- Whether it is dry.
- Whether it is treated or stamped.
Why Wasatch Front docks recycle
The freight corridor produces pallets continuously, from the rail yards in Salt Lake City to the Freeport Center and Business Depot Ogden. The I-15 corridor shows how they are strung along one road. A dock that recycles has a use for pallets that would otherwise sit in the yard.
Ask to recycle
Use the form to say what you have and where it is.
What recyclers want to hear
A recycler wants to know the footprint, the rough condition, the count and where the stock sits. They do not want to hear that everything is "good" when it is not. A short list of the main defects, with a photo, sets realistic terms.
- Footprint: standard 48 x 40, or other sizes in what share.
- Condition: mostly repairable, mostly broken, or mixed.
- Contamination: oil, food waste, paint, chemicals.
- Place: indoors, in a yard, under snow.
Wood that has been oiled, painted or chemically contaminated usually cannot be recycled into mulch or composite products. Say so up front; hiding it only delays the answer.
What becomes of the wood
Wood that cannot be repaired still has uses. Chipped pallet wood becomes mulch, animal bedding, fuel pellets and the filler in composite boards. Sound boards cut from broken pallets go back into repairs. Nails are pulled by magnet and sold as scrap. Little goes to waste when stock is clean and untreated.
- Chips: mulch, bedding, biomass fuel and composite filler.
- Sound boards: used again as deck boards for repairs.
- Nails and metal: recovered with magnets and scrap bins.
- Contaminated wood: disposed of separately.
Why condition at the source matters
A recycler sorts what arrives. A load of clean, dry, untreated pallets is easy to sort. A load with trash, wet wood and chemical drums is slow, risky and low in value. Taking a few minutes to separate the clean from the contaminated before pickup changes the answer you receive.
How long a pile can wait
A dry, covered pile can wait for months. A wet pile that sits through a Salt Lake winter loses value quickly. Freeze and thaw crack boards, and moisture adds weight and rot. If you are choosing between clearing now and waiting for a better offer, weigh the cost of weather against the hope of a gain.