Recycled pallets: grades, remanufacturing, cost and how to buy them
A recycled pallet is a used wooden pallet that has been sorted, repaired or rebuilt and resold. Used 48 × 40 in pallets are sold as Grade A (few or no repairs) or Grade B (repaired). They cost less than new, but grade definitions vary by supplier and any repair voids an existing ISPM 15 mark.
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Height
- 4.75 in
- Lumber
- 13.5 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 59 lb (27 kg)
- Fasteners
- 84
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Most wooden pallets in the US get more than one life. Pallets are collected from distribution centres and retailers, sorted by size and condition, repaired, and sold again. For standard 48 × 40 in stringer pallets the recycled market is often the cheapest source.
What is a recycled pallet?
A recycled pallet is a wooden pallet that has been used at least once and returned to service, either as-is after sorting, after repair, or rebuilt from salvaged parts. The Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets classifies pallets by manufacture: new, remanufactured, or remanufactured/combo (new and used parts mixed). See remanufactured pallet and combo pallet.
Recycled pallet grades
The market sorts used 48 × 40 in pallets by grade. These terms are conventions, not a standard.
| Grade | Typical condition |
|---|---|
| Premium A / Grade A / #1 | Sound used pallet, standard GMA layout, few or no repairs, uniform boards |
| Grade B / #2 | Repaired: replaced boards, companion stringers, plugs or metal plates; may mix board widths |
| Remanufactured | Rebuilt from salvaged components, sometimes to a non-standard size |
| Combo | New and recycled components in one pallet |
| Core | Damaged pallets sold to recyclers for parts |
The Uniform Standard also defines repair classes for how extensively a pallet has been repaired. See pallet grades and pallet repair.
How are recycled pallets repaired?
Common repairs, all set out in the Uniform Standard:
- Board replacement: a broken deckboard is removed and replaced with a used or new board of similar size.
- Companion stringer: a second stringer is nailed alongside a cracked one.
- Plug: a short block fitted under a split section of stringer.
- Metal connector plate: a toothed plate pressed across a split.
A repaired pallet should keep its dimensions and deck coverage. Heavy repair lowers stiffness and life, which is why Grade B costs less.
Where are recycled pallets used?
- One-way outbound shipments where the pallet will not come back
- Warehouse storage in single-stack or light racking
- Retail and grocery distribution where GMA-footprint pallets are accepted
- Cost-sensitive operations with moderate loads
They are a poor fit where appearance, exact dimensions, automation tolerances or verified capacity matter, and where a retailer or customer requires new or pooled pallets.
Pros and limits
| Pros | Limits |
|---|---|
| Lower price than new | Grade definitions vary by supplier |
| Readily available in 48 × 40 in | Mixed species, boards and nails within a lot |
| Lower embodied carbon than new lumber | Unknown history (spills, odour, pests, mould) |
| Keeps wood out of landfill | Capacity is not rated per pallet |
| Repaired pallets need new HT to export |
Weight and capacity
Weight varies more than for new pallets because a lot mixes species, board thickness and moisture. Most used 48 × 40 in stringer pallets fall in the same 30–70 lb (14–32 kg) range as new. Nobody rates an individual used pallet. If capacity matters, buy new to a specification with a manufacturer's rating, or set a minimum design (board thickness, stringer size) and inspect incoming lots. See pallet inspection.
ISPM 15
Heat treatment lasts as long as the pallet is unchanged. A recycled pallet with an intact ISPM 15 mark and no repairs can be reused for export. Once a pallet is repaired or remanufactured, the old marks must be obliterated and the pallet re-treated and re-marked. See ISPM 15 and heat-treated pallets.
What drives the cost?
- Grade (A costs more than B)
- Local supply of cores in your region
- Size: standard 48 × 40 is cheapest, odd sizes may need remanufacturing
- Heat treatment
- Volume and freight
Recycled pallet prices move with new-pallet prices and with supply. The pallet cost guide and new vs recycled comparison go into detail.
Specifying recycled pallets for a quote
- Size and style (for example 48 × 40 in GMA-style, 4-way notched)
- Grade: A, B, remanufactured or combo acceptable
- Minimum deckboard thickness and stringer size
- Allowed repairs (companion stringers, plates, plugs)
- Heat treated, yes or no
- Hardwood only, softwood only, or mixed
- Condition requirements: dry, clean, no oil, no loose nails
- Quantity, cadence, delivery location, and whether you also want your used pallets collected
Related: pallet recycling, sell used pallets, GMA pallet. If the recycled market cannot meet your size or strength, design a new pallet from the GMA template.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
48×40 GMA template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Overall height
- 4.75 in
- Classification
- 48.00 x 40.00, Stringer-Class, Double-Face Non-Reversible, Flush, Partial 4-Way, Reusable, New Manufacture
Construction
- Build
- Wood stringer pallet
- Wings
- Flush
- Top deck
- 7 boards × 0.625 in (5/8); leads 5.50 in (5-1/2), interior 3.50 in (3-1/2)
- Bottom deck
- 5 boards × 0.625 in (5/8); interior grouped between notches
- Stringers
- 3 × 1.375 in (1-3/8) wide × 3.50 in (3-1/2) tall
- Notches
- Partial 4-way: 1.25 in (1-1/4) deep × 9.00 in (9) long, 6.00 in (6) from each end, R 0.75 in (3/4)
- Lumber
- Mixed Hardwood, Standard & Btr, green, new
- Fasteners
- 84 × 2.25 in (2-1/4) helical, 0.112 in wire, per Uniform Standard Table 5
Requirements
- Load
- 2,000 lb, uniform
- Handling
- forklift, pallet jack
- Racking
- Not racked
- Floor stack
- 1 high
- Use
- Reusable / multi-trip
- Environment
- Standard
- ISPM-15
- Domestic only
- Certified rating
- Not required
- Food contact / fire
- No / no listing
Order
- Quantity
- Not specified
- Ship to
- —
- Needed by
- —
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Grade A and Grade B pallets?
Grade A pallets are used pallets in good condition with few or no repairs. Grade B pallets have been repaired, often with companion stringers or mismatched boards, and cost less. The exact definitions are set by each supplier, so ask for theirs.
Are recycled pallets heat treated?
Only if they were heat treated and have not been repaired since. A repaired or remanufactured pallet must be re-treated and re-marked before it can be used for ISPM 15 export.
What is a remanufactured pallet?
A pallet built from salvaged components, often to a size the original pallets were not. Remanufacturing turns cores and odd sizes into sellable pallets.
Are recycled pallets safe for food?
They can be, but you cannot see their history. For food contact or FSMA-sensitive loads, many shippers require new or heat-treated pallets, or plastic, and inspect for contamination, mould and odour.
Related
- GuidesPallet grades: Grade A, Grade B, remanufactured and combo palletsUsed pallets are sold by grade. Grade A (#1) pallets are clean and sound with few or no repairs; Grade B (#2) pallets are sound but repaired, often with companion stringers. Remanufactured and combo pallets are rebuilt from used and new parts. Definitions vary by vendor, so write yours down.
- 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 recycling: how used pallets are repaired, rebuilt and groundUsed wood pallets are widely recycled in the US. Recyclers collect them, sort by size and grade, repair the good ones for resale, dismantle damaged ones for parts to build remanufactured pallets, and grind the rest into mulch, animal bedding or biomass fuel. Businesses usually get free pickup or payment for full loads.
- GlossaryRemanufactured palletA 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- TypesGMA pallet: 48 × 40 in dimensions, construction, weight and gradesA GMA pallet is a 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) wooden stringer pallet built to the grocery industry's standard: three notched stringers for partial 4-way entry, seven top and five bottom deckboards, and an overall height of about 4-3/4 in (121 mm) in the standard build. It is the most common pallet in the United States.
- GuidesWho buys pallets? How to sell used pallets and what they are worthPallet recyclers are the main buyers of used pallets. In 2026 they typically pay about $4–8 for a Grade A 48 × 40 in pallet, $2–5 for Grade B and under $2 for damaged ones, usually by the trailer load. End users pay more. Never sell blue CHEP, red PECO or iGPS pallets: they are rented property.
More in Wood pallets
- TypesWooden pallets: types, construction, sizes and how to specify themA wooden pallet is a flat transport platform built from lumber deckboards fastened to stringers or blocks. In North America most are 48 × 40 in stringer pallets weighing about 30–70 lb (14–32 kg); in Europe the 1200 × 800 mm EPAL block pallet dominates. Wood must be ISPM 15 treated for most export.
- TypesStringer pallet: construction, dimensions and when to use oneA stringer pallet is a wooden pallet whose deckboards are nailed across two or more continuous beams called stringers, usually three on a 48 × 40 in pallet. It is 2-way entry, or partial 4-way when the stringers are notched. It is the most common and cheapest pallet design in North America.
- TypesBlock pallet: construction, dimensions and usesA block pallet is a wooden pallet whose deck sits on blocks, usually nine arranged 3 × 3, joined by stringerboards. The gaps between blocks give full 4-way entry for both forklifts and pallet jacks. EUR/EPAL, CP and the pooled 48 × 40 in pallets of CHEP and PECO are all block pallets.
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- TypesCP pallets (CP1 to CP9): dimensions, construction and usesCP pallets are nine standardised wooden block pallets (CP1 to CP9) designed for the European chemical and plastics industry. They range from 760 × 1140 mm to 1300 × 1100 mm. CP1 to CP5 are 138 mm (5.4 in) high with bottom boards in one direction; CP6 to CP9 are 156 mm (6.1 in) high with perimeter or full-frame bottoms.
- TypesPerimeter-base pallet: picture-frame bottom block pallets explainedA perimeter-base pallet is a block pallet whose bottom deckboards form a closed frame around the edges, often with a centre board. The frame gives full 4-way entry, rides roller conveyors in either direction and spreads load in stacks. Pooled 48 × 40 in and UK 1200 × 1000 mm pallets use it.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 764 words.