Bulletin 200 · styles

Recycling pooled and rental plastic pallets: resin, ratings and the ownership check

Last reviewed Nov 12, 20269 stages

The short answer

Pooled or rental plastic pallets are recycled like any HDPE or PP pallet: sorted, ground into regrind and moulded again. Owned by the pool operator, not the user. Not for resale.

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

Pooled and rental: what it is

Owned by the pool operator, not the user. Not for resale.

How it recycles

Pooled pallets belong to the pool operator and are rented, not sold. iGPS, for example, runs a pool of all-plastic RFID-tagged pallets listed to UL 2335 in 2007. They are not for resale and not for recycling by the holder.

Sold as a pallet, or ground?

You cannot sell them. You can return them. Contact the pool.

Whose is it?

California AB 1760 sets a 35-day period before stray proprietary pallets can be declared abandoned. CHEP USA has sued recyclers over marked pallets they would not return.

Who owns a pooled pallet

The pool operator does. A user rents the pallet for a trip and is expected to return it. That is why a pooled pallet is not for resale or scrap by the holder.

What to do if one turns up

Do not grind it. Photograph the marks and the tag, and say so on the form. The right step is to tell the pool or find out who the owner is.

Why it matters in law

California AB 1760 sets a period before stray pallets can be declared abandoned, and CHEP has pursued recyclers over its pallets. The pool-marked guide gives the details.

Questions for a seller or buyer

Who is the pool? Is there a tag or serial number? Did the pallets come with a load, or did they arrive another way? Is there paperwork that names the owner? The ownership check starts with those four answers.

Pool pallets and who can move them

A pooled or rental pallet belongs to the pool, not to the site holding it. That means the first call on a stray pile is to the owner, whose mark or tag may be on the pallet. A recycler cannot take title to pallets that are not yours to send, so the check comes before the quote. If the pool confirms the pallets are yours to dispose of, say so in the request and the lot can move like any other.

Pooled and rental: example specs

Example models from public maker pages; check the model you hold.
Spec	Example
Example	iGPS: pool of all-plastic, RFID-tagged pallets
Fire listings (iGPS)	UL 2335 in 2007; FM approval announced 2008

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.
freightwaves.comiGPS announced FM approval in 2008 for its all-plastic RFID-tagged pooled pallet, which had UL 2335 certification from 2007.
palletenterprise.comIn 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold.
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.
en.wikipedia.orgResin identification codes do not indicate whether a product is recyclable; ASTM D7611 governs the coding.
nelsoncompany.comStatic capacity is the highest of the three ratings; racking is often the lowest; dynamic is always lower than static.
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.
aphis.usda.govUSDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among products not subject to APHIS regulation, as an alternative to wood packaging material.
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.
en.wikipedia.orgPlastic pallets are made by injection molding, structural foam molding, thermoforming, compression molding, rotational molding and profile extrusion.
nelsoncompany.com48 x 48 plastic pallets hold four 55-gallon drums without overhang; 48 x 45 matches North American auto parts bulk containers.
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.
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.

Questions people ask

Can pooled and rental plastic pallets be recycled?

Yes. Pooled pallets belong to the pool operator and are rented, not sold.

When should I sell pooled and rental pallets instead of recycling them?

You cannot sell them.

Could pooled and rental pallets be marked as someone else’s?

California AB 1760 sets a 35-day period before stray proprietary pallets can be declared abandoned. CHEP USA has sued recyclers over marked pallets they would not return.

Can I buy a pooled pallet?

Some pools sell used pallets under their own programme. Ask the operator.

What if I find pooled pallets in a load I bought?

Tell us. They are not part of the load until the owner is known.

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