Bulletin 193 · styles

Recycling nestable plastic pallets: resin, ratings and the ownership check

Last reviewed Nov 12, 202610 stages

The short answer

Nestable plastic pallets are recycled like any HDPE or PP pallet: sorted, ground into regrind and moulded again. Legs fit into each other when empty. Standard-duty nestables carry no rack rating on this spec; check the model.

Got a load like this?

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

Send a load Find your area

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

Nestable: what it is

Legs fit into each other when empty. Standard-duty nestables carry no rack rating on this spec; check the model.

How it recycles

Nestables are mostly HDPE, light, and stack into each other when empty, so a stack is a lot of pallets in a small space. Count by stack. They are the style most often made with recycled content, so they also come back out the other end.

Sold as a pallet, or ground?

A sound nestable of a common size is worth more as a pallet. PHS lists models with static ratings from 2,204 to 15,000 lb, so a heavy one is not a light export pallet and should be offered as a pallet.

Whose is it?

Nestables are rarely pooled, but check the underside for marks.

Counting a nestable pile

Nestables stack inside each other, so a tall stack holds many pallets. Count the stacks and the height of each, then estimate the count and say it is an estimate. A photograph of the end of a stack shows how tightly they nest.

Why they are light

The legs are hollow and the deck is thin, because the design trades strength for space. Light pallets crack at the legs first. A cracked leg is usually the end of a nestable as a pallet.

Where they go next

HDPE nestables are among the easiest feedstock, since they are one resin and often one colour. Sound ones go back into return-trip use, and the rest are ground.

Questions for a seller or buyer

What is the model and the maker? What is the static rating? How many are in a stack? Is the colour consistent? Is there a mark on the underside? Answering them in the listing saves a round of messages.

Retiring a nestable lot

Nestables are cheap to move empty, which makes them a common return-trip pallet. They retire when a loop closes or a supplier changes. A nested stack is a compact lot, and counting stacks gives a quick, honest estimate.

Cold and heat on thin plastic

A thin-walled nestable is more sensitive to temperature than a thick one. In a freezer it can go brittle and crack at the leg, and in a hot yard it can soften and bow. If your nestables live in either, say so in a quote request, because the age of the plastic and the way it fails tell a recycler what the regrind will look like.

Nestable: example specs

Example models from public maker pages; check the model you hold.
Spec	Example
Example weight (48x40, standard duty)	26.5 lb
Example static / dynamic	10,000 lb / 3,000 lb
Nest increment	2.50 in
Per 53 ft trailer (empty)	1,260

What the sources say

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 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable pallet weighs 26.5 lb with a static rating of 10,000 lb and dynamic 3,000 lb.
nelsoncompany.comOnly pallets designed for unsupported racking carry a racking rating.
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 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.comA used Nelson 48 x 40 x 6.3 in HDPE one-piece pallet weighs 49 lb with 30,000 lb static, 5,000 lb dynamic and 2,200 lb racking ratings.
en.wikipedia.orgAbout 500 million pallets are made each year as of 2020, with about 2 billion in use in the US.
nelsoncompany.com48 x 48 plastic pallets hold four 55-gallon drums without overhang; 48 x 45 matches North American auto parts bulk containers.
nelsoncompany.comStatic capacity is the highest of the three ratings; racking is often the lowest; dynamic is always lower than static.
en.wikipedia.orgSteel, aluminum, plastic and engineered-wood pallets are exempt from ISPM 15; wood must reach a core temperature of 56 C for at least 30 minutes for heat treatment.
en.wikipedia.orgHDPE has resin identification code 2, a density of 930 to 970 kg/m3, melts at 131.8 C and is hard to glue, so joints are usually welded.
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.
palletenterprise.comIn 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold.

Questions people ask

Can nestable plastic pallets be recycled?

Yes. Nestables are mostly HDPE, light, and stack into each other when empty, so a stack is a lot of pallets in a small space.

When should I sell nestable pallets instead of recycling them?

A sound nestable of a common size is worth more as a pallet.

Could nestable pallets be marked as someone else’s?

Nestables are rarely pooled, but check the underside for marks.

Are nestable pallets always HDPE?

Mostly, but not always. Check the mark on the underside.

Can nestable pallets hold heavy loads?

Standard-duty ones are for light loads. Heavier models exist. Check the rating of your model.

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