What a small store can do with its pallets
A small store usually gets a few pallets a week from wholesalers and vendors. Ask the delivering driver to take them back, separate any blue, red or plastic pooled pallets for their owner, and batch the rest for a reuse pickup. Pallets in the dumpster fill it fast and add to your haul bill.
Where the pallets come from
Wholesaler and vendor deliveries.
Often mixed: some pooled, some one-way. Small stores often share an alley or loading area with neighbours. A shared pallet pickup across several shops can reach the volume a reuse company needs to come regularly.
Storage and handling
Store them flat and stacked, out of fire lanes and walkways, until pickup.
Program checklist
- Ask regular vendors whether drivers can take pallets back.
- Set pooled pallets aside and use the owner's collection route.
- Batch one-way pallets until you have enough for a pickup.
- Request a reuse pickup.
What to track
- Dumpster pulls per month
- Pallets picked up per month
Model it
The Pallet Fate Report opens with a starting mix for a small retail store. Replace it with your own counts; the figures are an illustration, not a benchmark.