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Index · regrind

Plastic regrind from scrap pallets, sorted by resin

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20265 stages
The short answer

Regrind is plastic ground from scrap into flake, ready to be moulded again. A broken plastic pallet becomes regrind, and regrind is sorted by resin and colour.

This section covers HDPE and PP regrind from pallets, who buys scrap, and what a processor checks first.

Ground flakeMesh screenOversizeto grinderPasses on to sorting
A mesh screen sets the flake size. What passes goes on; the oversize goes back to the grinder.

What regrind is

Regrind is what comes out of a granulator. The Cary Company describes it as surplus pieces, rejected parts and scraps chopped and ground, generally cheaper than virgin resin. For a pallet, it is flake the size of the screen holes.

Regrind is not pellets. Pellets are made by melting regrind and cutting it again. Plenty of moulders take regrind directly.

Two resins, two streams

HDPE is resin code 2, the most common pallet resin, tough and moisture resistant. PP is stiffer and handles heat and harsh chemicals better, which is why it shows up in rackable pallets. The two grind differently and mould differently, so they never share a pile.

Colour sets the use

Black regrind hides colour variation and is the easiest to place. Single colours make cleaner streams. A mixed pile makes a speckled regrind with fewer buyers. We say which one a load is likely to make.

Who takes it

Moulders, extruders and regrind processors take sorted HDPE and PP. Greystone Logistics runs part of its feedstock from damaged plastic pallets, and says it processed about 60 million pounds of recycled plastic in the year to May 2024.

Choosing the right regrind page

The HDPE and PP pages describe the two resins. The buyer pages describe what a buyer checks. The what-is-regrind page explains the term. Use whichever matches the question you are asking.

Regrind pages

PageWhat it coversFor
HDPE regrindHDPE regrind from palletsMoulders and processors
PP regrindPP regrind from rigid palletsMoulders and processors
What is regrindPlain definition and processAnyone new to it
Plastic scrap buyersWho buys plastic scrapSellers with a pile
Regrind for saleAsking about pallet regrindBuyers of feedstock

In this section

What the sources say

  • nelsoncompany.comThat used pallet is listed as pharma and food safe but not approved for direct food contact, in colours that vary.
  • nelsoncompany.comHDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking.
  • nelsoncompany.comFor products touching the pallet directly, stricter federal requirements may call for non-blended virgin HDPE; recycled pallets often meet general FDA needs.
  • resource-recycling.comIn April 2017, HDPE HMW regrind from drums and IBCs was 24 to 27 cents per pound picked up in the US South (historical, not current).
  • en.wikipedia.orgAbout 500 million pallets are made each year as of 2020, with about 2 billion in use in the US.
  • nelsoncompany.comAdvanced composite material pallets are 100 percent recycled polyolefins, cheaper with a shorter life, and suit export where the pallet is not returned.
  • en.wikipedia.orgHDPE has resin identification code 2, a density of 930 to 970 kg/m3, melts at 131.8 C and is hard to glue, so joints are usually welded.
  • eponline.comIn December 2011 a Los Angeles County Sheriff task force recovered over $250,000 of illegally obtained plastic pallets, including iGPS pallets, from a plastic recycler.
  • nelsoncompany.comA used Nelson 48 x 40 x 6.3 in HDPE one-piece pallet weighs 49 lb with 30,000 lb static, 5,000 lb dynamic and 2,200 lb racking ratings.
  • en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy; a typical GMA wood pallet weighs about 37 lb.
  • rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's heavy-duty nestable can be made with post-consumer or post-industrial recycled material, up to 30 percent in black and up to 10 percent in colour, and is RFID compatible.
  • rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 heavy-duty nestable pallet is 48.25 x 40.25 x 6.5 in, weighs 28.5 lb, is rated 10,000 lb static and 3,500 lb dynamic, has a 2.55 in nest increment and 1,200 units per 53 ft trailer; the page lists no racking rating.
  • en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets are often described as lasting 100 trips or more, and can cost roughly 10 times as much as hardwood pallets.
  • resource-recycling.comGreystone Logistics processed about 60 million pounds of recycled plastic in the year ended May 31, 2024, using damaged plastic pallets from a buy-back program among its feedstock.

Terms on this page

Regrind
Plastic ground from used or scrap parts into flakes for moulding again.
Flake
The small, irregular pieces a granulator makes. Flake is regrind before it is sold or melted.
HDPE
High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
PP
Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
Granulator
A machine with rotating knives that cuts plastic down to a set size, then pushes it through a screen.
Virgin resin
New, unblended resin that has not been through a product before.
Screen
The perforated plate under a granulator’s knives. The size of its holes sets the size of the flake.
Pellet
A small bead made by melting regrind and cutting it. Pellets feed into machines more evenly than flake.
Moulder
A manufacturer that melts regrind or pellets and forms them into parts, such as pallets.
Resin code
The number inside the triangle on a plastic part. HDPE is 2, PP is 5.
Resin identification code
Number on a plastic part for the resin, which does not itself say whether it is recyclable.
Rackable
Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
Extrusion
Pushing melted plastic through a die to make a continuous shape, often pellets or sheet.
Food contact
A material that touches food directly. Recycled content in food-contact use is held to rules a pallet deck usually is not.

Questions people ask

Is regrind food safe?

Generally no. Regrind is not made to food-contact standards, and the Cary Company says its own regrind is not FDA compliant.

Do you sell regrind?

We route loads and regrind. We list no volumes and no prices. Ask in the form for what you need.

Is regrind cheaper than virgin resin?

It is generally cheaper, per the Cary Company, but we do not quote numbers.

Is regrind the same as pellets?

No. Regrind is ground plastic in irregular pieces. Pellets are made by melting regrind and cutting it into beads.

Keep reading

Ask about regrind

Looking for sorted HDPE or PP regrind, or sending scrap that makes it? Say which.

How full is the trailer?
What resin are the pallets?
Sound or broken?
More about the load (optional)
Do any pallets carry another company's name or an RFID tag?
What colours are in the load?
Photos of the stack and the trailer help. Email them to info@plasticpalletrecyclers.com after you send.
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We read every request ourselves. We will come back with what we think happens to the load, and what we still need to see.

Nothing here is an offer or an acceptance. A load is accepted only after the pallets have been seen.

Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: The Cary Company, what is regrind; Resource Recycling, Greystone Logistics; Wikipedia, high-density polyethylene.

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