Bulletin 013 · regrind

HDPE regrind from scrap plastic pallets

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20267 stages

The short answer

HDPE regrind from plastic pallets is flake ground from high-density polyethylene decks, runners and blocks. It is resin code 2, it is tough and moisture resistant, and it is the most common pallet resin.

It is sorted from PP before grinding and sorted by colour after.

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A mesh screen sets the flake size. What passes goes on; the oversize goes back to the grinder.

What the resin is

High-density polyethylene has a density of 930 to 970 kg/m3 and melts at 131.8 C, per Wikipedia. It is hard to glue, so joints are normally welded. Those facts explain why a cracked pallet can be repaired and why regrind remelts cleanly.

What pallet HDPE looks like as regrind

Pallet decks and runners grind to chunky flake. Thick sections make heavy, dense flake. Thin decks make lighter flake. A screen with bigger holes makes larger pieces, and the moulder says what size suits.

What goes in the pile

Cracked, crushed and burnt HDPE pallets, without wood, metal or labels. Pallets that carried food or chemicals are flagged, not hidden. Colour is read as moulded.

What it goes back into

Regrind goes to a mould. A moulder can make a pallet, a bin or an industrial part from it. Some recycled-content pallets blend regrind with virgin resin, and the maker says by how much if you ask for documentation.

Recognising HDPE in a pile

HDPE pallets feel slightly waxy and bend a little under force before they crack. Many carry a moulded triangle with the number 2. Rackable pallets are often PP, so a stiff, rigid one is worth checking.

What affects the grade

Colour, residue, age and the mix of other materials. Pallets used outdoors age under sunlight, and the surface can be more brittle than the middle.

Ordering from a sorted pile

If you want HDPE regrind, say the colour, the contamination you can tolerate and the form: flake of a stated size. We state no size, price or volume without a source.

HDPE at a glance

Resin properties from Wikipedia.
Property	Value	Why it matters
Resin code	2	Shows the resin, not recyclability
Density	930 to 970 kg/m3	Heavier feedstock per cubic foot
Melting point	131.8 C	Remelts cleanly when sorted
Glue	Hard to glue	Cracks are welded

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.
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.
en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets are often described as lasting 100 trips or more, and can cost roughly 10 times as much as hardwood pallets.
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.
blog.containerexchanger.comNorth American plastic pallets in the common sizes are about 5 to 6 in tall.
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).
blog.containerexchanger.comThe 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide.
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.
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.
iccsafe.orgThe International Fire Code permits pallets listed and labeled under FM 4996 or UL 2335 to be treated as wood pallets for sprinkler design.
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.
palletenterprise.comCalifornia AB 1760 (2022) lets recyclers take possession of stray proprietary pallets if the owner cannot be identified or fails to retrieve them in time, with a 35-day period before they can be declared abandoned.

Terms on this page

HDPE: High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
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.
Deck: The flat surface that carries the load. A pallet may have a top deck, a bottom deck or both.
Runners: Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
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.
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.
Welding repair: Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
Screen: The perforated plate under a granulator’s knives. The size of its holes sets the size of the flake.
Moulder: A manufacturer that melts regrind or pellets and forms them into parts, such as pallets.
Recycled-content pallet: A pallet moulded partly or wholly from post-industrial or post-consumer resin.
Virgin resin: New, unblended resin that has not been through a product before.

Questions people ask

Can HDPE regrind be used for pallets?

Yes. Injection moulding regrind into pallets or pallet parts is the usual closed loop.

How do I know my pallets are HDPE?

Look for a moulded code 2, or send a close-up photo of a runner.

Is virgin HDPE required for food contact?

Stricter federal requirements may call for non-blended virgin HDPE, per Nelson. Ask the supplier for resin documentation.

Is pallet HDPE food grade?

Not by default. Pallet regrind is not made for food contact, and a buyer who needs food-contact material must ask for documentation.

Can HDPE be recycled many times?

Yes, with some loss of properties each time, which is why blends and virgin additions are used.

Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: Wikipedia, high-density polyethylene; Nelson Company, what material is used for plastic pallets; Wikipedia, resin identification code.