Bulletin 035 · retired pallets

Mixed-lot plastic pallets: the sorting step

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20267 stages

The short answer

A mixed-lot plastic pallet pile has several sizes, makers or colours in one stack. Sort it by footprint first, then by resin, then by colour, before it is described.

A sorted lot is easier to place than an unsorted one.

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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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A pallet is shredded and ground to flake, sorted by resin and colour, and moulded into a pallet again.

Footprint first

Group by size. 48 x 40 is the North American standard. 48 x 48 holds four 55-gallon drums without overhang. 48 x 45 matches automotive bulk containers. 42 x 42 is common. The footprint decides the trailer.

Then resin

HDPE and PP in separate piles. If you cannot tell, a moulded code or a close photo is enough.

Then colour

Black, one other colour, mixed. Do not repaint. Describe what is moulded.

Then marks

Pull any pallet with a pool name or RFID. They are a different job.

What a mixed lot hides

Several footprints, two resins and a handful of colours mix well in a trailer and badly in a processor’s yard. Each mixture adds a sorting step, and every step adds cost, so the description is where the work is saved.

Counting a mixed lot

Count one footprint at a time. A rough tally per footprint is more useful than a single total. Mixed lots are described in lines: a number, a size, a resin, a colour and a condition each.

When to sort it yourself

If you have time and floor space, sort the obvious ones: marked from unmarked, whole from broken. Leave resin and colour to the recycler unless the pallets carry a mark that tells you.

Mixed lot sort order

Step	Sort by	Why
1	Footprint	Sets the trailer fit
2	Resin	HDPE and PP never mix
3	Colour	Sets regrind use
4	Marks	Ownership

What the sources say

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.comThat used pallet is listed as pharma and food safe but not approved for direct food contact, in colours that vary.
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.
blog.containerexchanger.comNorth American plastic pallets in the common sizes are about 5 to 6 in tall.
blog.containerexchanger.comThe 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide.
rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's rackable pallet has a two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair and options for FDA-approved colours, RFID and up to 15 percent black recycled content.
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.
en.wikipedia.orgThe 48 x 40 in GMA pallet makes up about 30 percent of new US wood pallets.
nelsoncompany.comThat Nelson model lists about 60 pallets per stack and 1,800 per truck.
en.wikipedia.orgNFPA requires wood and plastic pallets to be stored outdoors or in a detached structure unless sprinklers protect them.
iccsafe.orgA 2010 insurer figure cited by ICC puts fire spread to a pallet above at about 18 minutes for plastic versus nearly 50 for wood.
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.
aphis.usda.govUSDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among products not subject to APHIS regulation, as an alternative to wood packaging material.
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

Footprint: The length and width of a pallet’s deck, for example 48 x 40 inches.
Trailer fill: How much of a trailer a load takes: a quarter, half or full. It sizes the freight job.
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.
Ownership check: Our first step with any pallet that carries a name, logo, tag or colour that suggests another owner.
Pooled pallet: A pallet owned by a rental pool and lent to users, who are expected to return it, not scrap it.
Pooling: Renting pallets from a company that owns, tracks and collects them instead of buying.
RFID tag: A small radio tag moulded or fixed into a pallet so that its owner can track it.
RFID: Radio tag moulded or fixed into a pallet so it can be tracked.
Regrind: Plastic ground from used or scrap parts into flakes for moulding again.

Questions people ask

Do I need to sort before sending?

It helps. If you cannot, say so. We sort.

What if sizes vary a lot?

List them. A range is fine.

Can mixed lots still be recycled?

Yes.

Does a mixed lot cost more to move?

We state no price. Sorting adds work, which is why a clear description matters.

Can I send a mixed lot of plastic and wood?

Not to us. This site is for plastic pallets only. Wood goes elsewhere.

Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: Nelson Company, common plastic pallet sizes.