Index · styles

Plastic pallet styles and what they mean for recycling

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20265 stages

The short answer

Nestable, rackable, stackable, export, drum, display, sanitary and heavy-duty plastic pallets all go through the same sort. What differs is whether to grind them at all, and whose they are.

The resin code in the pallet decides which stream it joins. Check the mark on the underside.

9styles

9types in the dossier

HDPE or PPthe usual resins

What a style tells a recycler

The style hints at the resin, the wall thickness and the age. Rackable pallets carry steel or extra ribs. Nestable pallets are light. Export pallets are made light on purpose.

Sell or grind

A pallet that still works has more value as a pallet than as regrind. Each style page says when to try selling before grinding.

Whose is it

A style does not tell you who owns the pallet. Marks, branding and RFID tags do. Read the guide on marked pallets before sending anything with a name on it.

Names overlap

A pallet can be nestable and rackable, or stackable and export. The nine style pages are not nine exclusive boxes. Read the one that matches the feature that matters most for the load: the ownership, the rating or the process.

Why the process matters

Most plastic pallets are injection moulded, which suits grinding well. Pallets made by other processes, or with steel reinforcement, need the metal taken out before the granulator, and the load description should say so.

What the sources say

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.
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.
phsinc.comPHS Plastic lists 19 nestable 48 x 40 and other-footprint models with dynamic ratings from 1,102 to 3,500 lb and static ratings from 2,204 to 15,000 lb, so 'nestable' spans light export pallets to heavy-duty stackers.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
phsinc.comPHS lists a 48 x 32 stackable pallet (STK 783) at 3,500 lb dynamic and 15,000 lb static.
phsinc.comPHS lists a 48 x 48 stackable pallet (STK 207) at 4,000 lb dynamic and 30,000 lb static.
rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific offers the standard-duty nestable with recycled content of up to 90 percent in black, and describes it as 100 percent recyclable.
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.comThat used pallet is listed as pharma and food safe but not approved for direct food contact, in colours that vary.
en.wikipedia.orgResin identification codes do not indicate whether a product is recyclable; ASTM D7611 governs the coding.

Terms on this page

Nestable: Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
Rackable: Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
Stackable: Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
Ownership check: Our first step with any pallet that carries a name, logo, tag or colour that suggests another owner.
Regrind: Plastic ground from used or scrap parts into flakes for moulding again.
Granulator: A machine with rotating knives that cuts plastic down to a set size, then pushes it through a screen.
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.
Injection moulding: Pallet made by forcing molten resin into a mould at high pressure.
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.

Questions people ask

Can all styles be recycled?

Most are HDPE or PP and can be ground. The resin and the condition decide.

Should I sell instead?

Sound pallets of a common style often are worth listing first.

What if the style is not listed?

Describe it in the form.

Do reinforced pallets recycle differently?

Steel inserts must come out first. Say so on the form so the load is routed to a processor that can deal with it.

Is a fire-rated pallet still HDPE or PP?

Some are, with additives. Say that it is fire-rated and give the maker and model if you know them.

Got a load like this?

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

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