Bulletin 199 · styles

Recycling fire-rated plastic pallets: resin, ratings and the ownership check

Last reviewed Nov 12, 202610 stages

The short answer

Fire-rated (FM 4996 or UL 2335) pallets are recycled like any HDPE or PP pallet: sorted, ground into regrind and moulded again. Unlisted plastic pallets can raise the commodity classification.

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

Fire-rated: what it is

Unlisted plastic pallets can raise the commodity classification.

How it recycles

FM 4996 and UL 2335 listings let a pallet be treated as wood for sprinkler design. The listing is for the pallet as made. A cracked, repaired or reground pallet loses it. Fire-rated pallets are feedstock once retired, and the rating does not carry into the regrind.

Sold as a pallet, or ground?

A sound fire-rated pallet is worth keeping as one, because the listing is the value. ICC notes unlisted plastic pallets can raise the commodity class by two classes.

Whose is it?

Listing plates identify the maker. Keep them in photos.

What the listing is for

An unlisted plastic pallet can raise a warehouse’s commodity classification, which affects sprinkler requirements. Listed pallets, passing a test such as FM 4996, are meant to avoid that.

Why the rating is part of the value

A listed pallet is worth more as a pallet than a plain one. If yours still carries its listing and is sound, offer it before it is ground.

Additives and recycling

Fire-retardant additives can complicate recycling, because the flake carries them. Say the pallet is fire-rated, with the maker and model.

Questions for a seller or buyer

Which listing does the pallet carry, FM 4996 or UL 2335? Is the mark still legible? Has the pallet been modified or repaired, which can void the listing? A pallet that has lost its listing is just a plastic pallet.

Why fire-rated pallets are a separate lot

A fire-rated pallet carries a listing that was earned by test, and a mixed pile of listed and unlisted pallets hides that fact. Keep them apart, photograph the mark, and write down which listing it is. If a pallet is being retired because it is cracked, the listing goes with it, and the pallet is plain plastic from that day.

Writing the listing into a request

Quote the listing mark exactly as printed.

Fire-rated: example specs

Example models from public maker pages; check the model you hold.
Spec	Example
FM 4996 pass	Fire controlled at 5.9 mm/min (0.15 GPM/ft2) within a 10-minute test
UL 2335	Idle pallet test and commodity storage test
Code treatment	Listed and labeled pallets may be treated as wood for sprinkler design

What the sources say

iccsafe.orgAn ICC article says unlisted plastic pallets may require raising the commodity hazard class by two classes, and gives an example needing about 55 percent more sprinkler water.
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.
nelsoncompany.comStatic capacity is the highest of the three ratings; racking is often the lowest; dynamic is always lower than static.
iccsafe.orgUL 2335 has an idle pallet test and a commodity storage test.
palletenterprise.comIn 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold.
nelsoncompany.comOnly pallets designed for unsupported racking carry a racking rating.
rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable pallet weighs 26.5 lb with a static rating of 10,000 lb and dynamic 3,000 lb.
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.
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.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.
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.
en.wikipedia.orgResin identification codes do not indicate whether a product is recyclable; ASTM D7611 governs the coding.
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.

Questions people ask

Can fire-rated plastic pallets be recycled?

Yes. FM 4996 and UL 2335 listings let a pallet be treated as wood for sprinkler design.

When should I sell fire-rated pallets instead of recycling them?

A sound fire-rated pallet is worth keeping as one, because the listing is the value.

Could fire-rated pallets be marked as someone else’s?

Listing plates identify the maker. Keep them in photos.

Does a fire-rated pallet always have a plate?

Listed models are marked. Look for the listing mark and photograph it.

Are they still HDPE or PP?

Many are, with additives. Say what you know.

Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: iccsafe.org.