Bulletin 201 · styles

Recycling injection-moulded plastic pallets: resin, ratings and the ownership check

Last reviewed Nov 12, 202610 stages

The short answer

Injection moulded pallets are recycled like any HDPE or PP pallet: sorted, ground into regrind and moulded again. One of six processes the encyclopedia lists; the others are structural foam, thermoforming, compression molding, rotational molding and profile extrusion.

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

Injection moulded: what it is

One of six processes the encyclopedia lists; the others are structural foam, thermoforming, compression molding, rotational molding and profile extrusion.

How it recycles

Injection moulding is one of six processes the encyclopedia lists, with structural foam, thermoforming, compression moulding, rotational moulding and profile extrusion. Rehrig’s 40 x 48 rackable is high-pressure injection moulded, a two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair. Injection-moulded pallets regrind cleanly and are the pallets recycled content ends up in.

Sold as a pallet, or ground?

Snap-lock designs repair easily, so a damaged one may be worth a part swap before it is ground.

Whose is it?

Check for moulded maker marks and RFID.

How injection moulding works

Plastic is melted and forced into a closed mould under pressure. The part cools, the mould opens and the pallet comes out. It makes a pallet in one piece, with ribs and features built in.

Other processes

The sources list five more: structural foam, thermoforming, compression moulding, rotational moulding and profile extrusion. Each leaves a different texture and a different grain.

Why this suits recycling

A pallet moulded in one piece of one resin has no glue, no nails and no joints. It is a single stream when it comes to the grinder.

Questions for a seller or buyer

What is the resin and the grade? Is there any reinforcement? Is the pallet one piece or welded from parts? Are there ribs, a picture frame or a cruciform base? Moulded features tell the recycler what machine and mould made it.

Reading the surface

A moulded pallet shows a gate mark where the plastic entered the mould and faint seams where the halves met. Those marks, and a moulded maker\u2019s name, tell a recycler who made it and how, which helps place the load.

Moulded pallets and regrind quality

A pallet moulded as one piece from a single resin gives a recycler a clean, predictable stream. A moulded pallet with a different resin in a rail, a steel insert or an applied label needs a check before it goes in the hopper. Say which applies when you describe your lot, and note whether the pallets were ever used with chemicals or oils, since that matters to what the regrind can be used for.

Injection moulded: example specs

Example models from public maker pages; check the model you hold.
Spec	Example
Process	High-pressure injection molding (Rehrig 40x48 rackable)
Example	Two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair

What the sources say

en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets are made by injection molding, structural foam molding, thermoforming, compression molding, rotational molding and profile extrusion.
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.comThat Nelson model is under 5 in tall, which the page says suits air freight, and works with automation and most roller conveyors.
palletenterprise.comIn 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold.
rehrigpacific.comRehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 rackable pallet is high-pressure injection molded co-polymer polypropylene, with 540 per 53 ft trailer.
aphis.usda.govUSDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among products not subject to APHIS regulation, as an alternative to wood packaging material.
phsinc.comPHS lists a 56 x 44 beverage pallet (STK 285) at 2,500 lb dynamic and 30,000 lb static.
phsinc.comPHS lists a 48 x 48 stackable pallet (STK 207) at 4,000 lb dynamic and 30,000 lb static.
phsinc.comPHS lists a 48 x 32 stackable pallet (STK 783) at 3,500 lb dynamic and 15,000 lb static.
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.comThat Nelson model lists about 60 pallets per stack and 1,800 per truck.
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.
en.wikipedia.orgResin identification codes do not indicate whether a product is recyclable; ASTM D7611 governs the coding.
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.

Questions people ask

Can injection moulded plastic pallets be recycled?

Yes. Injection moulding is one of six processes the encyclopedia lists, with structural foam, thermoforming, compression moulding, rotational moulding and profile extrusion.

When should I sell injection moulded pallets instead of recycling them?

Snap-lock designs repair easily, so a damaged one may be worth a part swap before it is ground..

Could injection moulded pallets be marked as someone else’s?

Check for moulded maker marks and RFID.

Is an injection moulded pallet recycled differently?

No. It is shredded and ground like any plastic pallet.

Can recycled regrind be injection moulded again?

Yes. That is how a recycled-content pallet is made.

Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: rehrigpacific.com.