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Polypropylene regrind: where pallet PP comes from

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20267 stages
The short answer

Polypropylene regrind from pallet scrap is stiff flake, ground from rackable and rigid pallets and kept apart from HDPE. The same polymer is often written PP.

This page is about where the polypropylene comes from and what makes a PP load placeable.

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Five questions and a photo. We say what we think happens next once the pallets have been seen.

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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.

Where pallet PP comes from

Rackable pallets, hygienic pallets and some stackables are polypropylene. Nelson lists an 18 lb nestable, stackable, rackable made of high-density polypropylene, and Rehrig makes a 44 lb rackable from co-polymer polypropylene. Different grades, same family.

Co-polymer or homopolymer

Co-polymer PP is tougher at low temperature. Homopolymer is stiffer. A moulder buying regrind cares which, and so does a mixed pile that contains both. Where the maker is known, say so.

Heat and chemicals

PP handles heat and harsh chemicals better than HDPE, which is why pharmaceutical and chemical shippers sometimes choose it. A pallet that carried chemical drums needs a note about what was on it.

What a good PP load looks like

One resin, no wood, no metal, marks checked. Count, colour and condition. PP loads are usually smaller than HDPE loads, so a half-trailer is a normal description.

Homopolymer and copolymer

Homopolymer PP is stiff. Copolymer PP is tougher at low temperatures. Pallets may use either, and a processor will treat them as one stream unless the melt flow differs a lot.

Heat and chemicals

PP tolerates heat better than HDPE does, which is one reason it is used where pallets see warmer conditions. Check the maker’s data for any particular model.

Description for a PP load

Say that you believe it is PP, give the maker and model, and describe the condition. A photograph of the underside, where marks sit, usually settles it.

PP grades you may meet

GradeWhere seenNote
Co-polymerRehrig rackableInjection moulded
High-densityNelson multi-use modelNestable, stackable, rackable
UnknownOlder or unmarked palletsWe read the part

What the sources say

  • rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 rackable pallet is high-pressure injection molded co-polymer polypropylene, with 540 per 53 ft trailer.
  • nelsoncompany.comNelson Company defines dynamic capacity as the load a pallet carries in motion, always below static; static as the load at rest and the bottom pallet's limit in a stack; racking as the load across an open rack span, often the lowest and given only for pallets designed for it.
  • nelsoncompany.comHDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking.
  • en.wikipedia.orgThe 48 x 40 in GMA pallet makes up about 30 percent of new US wood pallets.
  • nelsoncompany.comA Nelson 48 x 40 x 4.8 in nestable, stackable, rackable polypropylene pallet weighs 18.0 lb with ratings of 10,500 lb static, 3,100 lb dynamic and 2,700 lb racking, and is listed as ISPM 15 exempt.
  • 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).
  • 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.orgPlastic pallets are often described as lasting 100 trips or more, and can cost roughly 10 times as much as hardwood pallets.
  • phsinc.comPHS lists its EXP 100 nestable (48 x 40 x 5.2 in) at 78 pallets per stack and 2,340 per truckload, and its EXP 116 (48 x 40 x 5.75 in, 15,000 lb static) at 40 per stack and 1,260 per truckload: a higher static rating comes with fewer pallets per stack.
  • nelsoncompany.comPallet capacities are issued by the manufacturer from calculation and lab or field tests, and assume an evenly distributed load.
  • en.wikipedia.orgSteel, aluminum, plastic and engineered-wood pallets are exempt from ISPM 15; wood must reach a core temperature of 56 C for at least 30 minutes for heat treatment.
  • rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 rackable pallet weighs 44.2 lb with a dynamic rating of 4,000 lb, static 10,000 lb and edge rack 2,000 lb.
  • 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.

Terms on this page

PP
Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
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.
Rackable
Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
HDPE
High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
Stackable
Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
Nestable
Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
Moulder
A manufacturer that melts regrind or pellets and forms them into parts, such as pallets.
Ownership check
Our first step with any pallet that carries a name, logo, tag or colour that suggests another owner.
Trailer fill
How much of a trailer a load takes: a quarter, half or full. It sizes the freight job.
FM 4996
FM Approvals standard that rates a pallet as equal to wood in fire tests.
UL 2335
UL fire-test standard for storage pallets, with an idle pallet test and a commodity storage test.
Extrusion
Pushing melted plastic through a die to make a continuous shape, often pellets or sheet.
Resin code
The number inside the triangle on a plastic part. HDPE is 2, PP is 5.

Questions people ask

Is polypropylene the same as PP?

Yes. PP is the short form.

Does PP burn differently?

Fire behaviour is a separate matter covered by FM 4996 and UL 2335 listings. It is not a recycling question.

Who buys PP regrind?

Moulders and extruders of stiff parts. We route sorted PP to them.

Is PP the same as polypropylene?

Yes. PP is the short form, and recycling code 5 is its mark.

Can PP and HDPE be ground together?

They can, but a mixed output is a lower grade and a smaller market.

Keep reading

Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: Nelson Company, what material is used for plastic pallets; Rehrig Pacific, 40 x 48 rackable pallet.

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