Bulletin 037 · retired pallets

Obsolete plastic pallets: what to do with the old footprint

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20267 stages

The short answer

Obsolete plastic pallets are what is left after a packaging change: a footprint nobody uses now, still sound, still stacked. Decide first if they are worth more as pallets, then if they are feedstock.

Do not grind a pallet that someone else can use.

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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.

Why stock goes obsolete

A pallet-size change, a new customer standard, an automation upgrade or a lost contract. The pallets are fine. The footprint is wrong.

Who else uses the size

Common footprints are easier to place. A 48 x 40 has many users. A 56 x 44 beverage pallet has few. An odd size has even fewer.

When feedstock is right

If nobody wants the size, or the pallets are old, the resin is what is left. It is sorted and ground. The pallets served their purpose.

The paperwork

If the stock was rented, it is not yours. If it was bought, say so and say the maker and the model. A model name speeds everything.

Spotting obsolete stock early

Obsolescence shows up as a pallet with nowhere to go: a size no customer asks for, a design that does not fit the new racking, a marked pallet from a supplier that no longer ships to you. Count it before it fills the yard.

Selling to another user

Someone else may still use a size you no longer do. A short list with photographs, the maker and the footprint is worth sending to a few buyers before anything is ground.

Writing it off

If stock has no buyer, record it as scrap with the count and the resin, then route it. A write-off with a clear record is easier to defend than a pile that sat for a year.

Obsolete stock, decision order

Question	Yes	No
Sound?	Look for reuse	Regrind
Common footprint?	Easier to place	Often regrind
Owned outright?	Yours to send	Return to owner

What the sources say

blog.containerexchanger.comThe 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide.
cabka.comCabka says plastic export pallets are exempt from ISPM-15 treatment, that there is no single export size, and that its nestable export designs include extra-lightweight and air-freight versions.
en.wikipedia.orgAbout 500 million pallets are made each year as of 2020, with about 2 billion in use in the US.
nelsoncompany.comOnly pallets designed for unsupported racking carry a racking rating.
aphis.usda.govUSDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among products not subject to APHIS regulation, as an alternative to wood packaging material.
palletenterprise.comIn 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold.
aphis.usda.govWood packaging material entering the US must be treated and certified per ISPM 15.
en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets are often described as lasting 100 trips or more, and can cost roughly 10 times as much as hardwood pallets.
blog.containerexchanger.comNorth American plastic pallets in the common sizes are about 5 to 6 in tall.
en.wikipedia.orgMetal pallets are under 1 percent of the pallet market.
phsinc.comPHS lists 48 x 40 stackable plastic pallets with dynamic ratings of 2,500 to 5,000 lb and static ratings of 3,000 to 30,000 lb.
en.wikipedia.orgThe 48 x 40 in GMA pallet makes up about 30 percent of new US wood pallets.
en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets can deform (creep) under heavy long-term loads and are hard to repair.
en.wikipedia.orgNFPA requires wood and plastic pallets to be stored outdoors or in a detached structure unless sprinklers protect them.

Terms on this page

Footprint: The length and width of a pallet’s deck, for example 48 x 40 inches.
ISPM 15: The international standard for treating wood packaging against pests. Plastic pallets are outside it.
Rackable: Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
Racking load: Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
Ownership check: Our first step with any pallet that carries a name, logo, tag or colour that suggests another owner.
Reuse cycle: One trip out with a load and back again. Some pallets are rated for a number of them.
Regrind: Plastic ground from used or scrap parts into flakes for moulding again.

Questions people ask

Can obsolete pallets be sold?

Sometimes. Say the size, style and condition.

What if the stock is huge?

Say the count. It may need to move in stages.

Are there tax issues?

Ask your own adviser. We do not give tax advice.

What if the obsolete pallets carry my own logo?

A logo on your own pallet is your own mark. Say so, and the ownership check is a quick one.

Can obsolete stock be sold back to the maker?

Some makers run take-back programmes. Ask yours. We make no promise about any particular one.

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