Guides to handling used pallets

Long-form answers to specific jobs, from cutting a haul bill to explaining pallet figures to an auditor.

19 pages. Last reviewed October 27, 2026.

• How to stop paying to dumpster palletsA step-by-step plan for a business that throws pallets in the dumpster: count them, separate pooled ones, set up a reuse pickup, and cut haul pulls.
• Writing a pallet clause into a hauling contractContract language to keep pallets out of landfill when you sign or renew a waste hauling agreement: separation, destinations, reporting and pooled pallets.
• Questions to ask a pallet recycler before you sign upWhat to ask a pallet reuse or recycling company about what happens to your pallets, how it handles pooled and painted ones, and what records it gives you.
• Documenting pallet diversion for an auditWhat records support a pallet diversion or avoided-emissions claim: counts, weights, destinations, factors and versions, and how long to keep them.
• Writing the pallet paragraph in an ESG reportHow to word a pallet reuse or diversion disclosure: what to state, which factors and versions to name, and the phrases that invite greenwashing challenges.
• Drafting a local wood waste or pallet ruleFor municipal staff: what existing state pallet and wood bans look like, the definitions that matter, and the provisions to consider in a local rule.
• How a business should dispose of palletsThe order of options for a business with pallets to get rid of: return, reuse, repair, grind, burn, landfill. With the rules and records for each.
• What to do with old pallets at homeFor households with a few pallets: how to tell whose they are, safe and unsafe reuse, why burning is risky, and where they can go.
• How to weigh your pallet streamTurning pallet counts into tons for emissions and diversion reports: sample weighing, using cited averages, and handling mixed sizes and moisture.
• Sorting pallets at the receiving dockA simple four-way sort at receiving that makes every downstream pallet decision easier: pooled, reusable, repairable and scrap.
• Storing idle pallets safelyWhy stacks of empty pallets are a fire concern, who sets the limits for your site, and practical steps to keep a pallet program from creating a hazard.
• Setting up a pallet take-back with your suppliersHow to ask suppliers to take their pallets back on the next delivery, what to put in a purchase order, and how take-back counts in reporting.
• Are pallets recyclable?Yes, in several ways: reuse, repair, remanufacture and grinding. What 'recycled' means for wood pallets, and what EPA and the industry each count.
• Are wood pallets biodegradable?Wood pallets are made of wood and do break down, but slowly and only partly in a landfill. What WARM assumes about buried wood carbon.
• How pallet recycling works, step by stepWhat happens to pallets after a recycler collects them: sorting, grading, repair, dismantling, grinding and selling, and what each step means for your numbers.
• Run a one-week pallet auditA one-week count that gives you the inputs for a pallet program and the Pallet Fate Report: volumes by type, condition, current fate and cost.
• Which landfill setting to use in the Pallet Fate ReportWARM's three landfill gas collection variants for wood, what each assumes, and when to use the national average versus a specific landfill type.
• Who owns a pallet? Marks, pools and the lawHow to tell who owns a pallet at your dock, what pooled and branded marks mean, and how state laws on marked pallets and plastic containers apply.
• Explaining pallet emissions numbers to an auditorThe questions an assurance provider is likely to ask about pallet emissions and diversion figures, and how to answer each from your records.