Remanufactured pallet
Also called: reman pallet, rebuilt pallet, remanufactured
A remanufactured pallet is a pallet assembled from components reclaimed from dismantled used pallets, sometimes to a different size or design from the originals. Under ISPM 15, a pallet with more than about one third of its components replaced counts as remanufactured and must be re-treated and re-marked.
In depth: New vs recycled pallets: cost, quality and when to use each
Remanufacturing takes apart used pallets, trims and sorts the good boards and stringers, and builds new pallets from them. The result can be a common size or a custom one.
Manufacture classes
PDS classifies each design as one of three manufacture classes:
| Class | Components |
|---|---|
| New Manufacture | All new lumber |
| Remanufactured | Reclaimed lumber |
| Remanufactured/Combo | Mix of new and reclaimed (combo pallet) |
Why it matters
- Cost: reclaimed lumber usually costs less than new.
- Consistency: board thickness, species and quality vary more, because components come from many sources. PDS can model recycled lumber and recycled notched stringers.
- Design: reclaimed deckboards are shorter or have nail holes. Designs are often adapted to the parts available, such as skids or odd sizes.
ISPM 15
ISPM 15 treats any pallet with more than about one third of its components replaced as remanufactured. Previous marks must be permanently obliterated (for example by painting or grinding), the unit re-treated, and the mark applied again. A remanufactured pallet is not export compliant because its parts were once treated.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
State whether remanufactured or combo construction is acceptable, the minimum component thickness and grade, and whether nail holes or plated repairs are allowed in visible or load-critical boards.
Common confusions
A remanufactured pallet is not a repaired one. Repair fixes an existing pallet; remanufacturing builds a new one from parts.
Related
- GlossaryRecycled palletA recycled pallet is a used pallet that has been collected, sorted, repaired if needed and put back into service, or a pallet rebuilt from reclaimed components. In the US it is usually a 48 × 40 in GMA-style stringer pallet sold by grade, such as grade A or grade B.
- GlossaryCombo palletA combo pallet is a wood pallet built from a mix of new and recycled components, commonly new stringers with reclaimed deckboards or the reverse. It sits between new and fully recycled pallets in cost and consistency.
- GlossaryWhat is ISPM 15?ISPM 15 is the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) standard for wood packaging material in international trade. It requires pallets, crates and dunnage made of solid wood to be debarked, treated by an approved method such as heat treatment (56 °C core for 30 minutes), and marked with the IPPC mark.
- ComparisonsNew vs recycled pallets: cost, quality and when to use eachChoose recycled (used) pallets for standard 48 × 40 in sizes when price matters and your customers accept Grade A or B. Choose new pallets for custom sizes, automated systems, exports, food and pharma, retailer programs that require new, or when you need a documented, consistent spec.
- GuidesPallet repair: methods, standards and when a pallet is not worth fixingPallets are repaired by replacing broken deckboards, reinforcing cracked stringers with a companion stringer, plug or metal plate, and replacing damaged blocks, following ISO 18613 and the Uniform Standard. Repaired pallets are weaker than new, need re-treatment for export, and some retailers refuse them.
More in Commercial and lifecycle
- GlossaryClosed loopA closed loop is a supply chain in which pallets travel between a fixed set of sites and are returned to the owner for reuse, for example between a parts supplier and an assembly plant. Because the pallets come back, higher-cost custom, plastic or metal pallets can pay for themselves.
- GlossaryCore palletA core is a used pallet, usually a standard 48 × 40 in stringer pallet, that a pallet recycler buys or collects as raw material to sort, repair and resell. Cores that cannot be repaired are dismantled for parts or ground.
- GlossaryGrade B palletA grade B (#2) pallet is a used pallet, usually a 48 × 40 in GMA-style stringer pallet, that has been repaired more than a grade A: it may have companion stringers, metal plates or replaced deckboards. It is functional but less uniform, and definitions vary by supplier.
- GlossaryMOQ (minimum order quantity)MOQ (minimum order quantity) is the smallest quantity a supplier will produce or sell in one order. For pallets it depends on the material and process: wood pallets need little setup, while custom molded plastic pallets need a mold and very large runs.
- GlossaryOne-way palletA one-way pallet is a pallet designed to make one trip and not come back, such as export pallets or shipments to customers who keep or discard the pallet. It is usually built lighter and from lower-grade material than a reusable pallet.
- GlossaryPallet exchangePallet exchange is an arrangement where a receiver hands back an equal number of empty pallets of the same type and quality for the loaded pallets it receives, so the shipper does not lose pallets with each delivery.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 246 words.