As we’ve said many times on this website and in our blogs, pallets move the world’s economy. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that as many as two billion pallets are in use at any given time. And wooden pallets can be used and re-used many times. Wood is durable, strong and can be reconditioned when it has been damaged. The heavy machinery used to move pallets combined with the substantial weight of pallet loads can result in excessive wear and tear. Broken or damaged pallets are considered unusable. The benefits of reconditioned wooden pallets make them a very safe bet for product transportation.

Good for the Environment

Quality hardwood is repairable several times over the life of the pallet. The benefits of reconditioned wooden pallets include:

  • The ability to re-use them once they have been repaired
  • The ability to recycle them at the end of their useful life into a variety of different products
  • Saving money on replacement pallets
  • Contributing to the betterment of our environment, “reduce, reuse, recycle”
  • Fewer trees are cut down and less energy is consumed in the harvesting, milling and building process to make new pallets

When at last the pallets are beyond reconditioning they can be used to create landscaping mulch, fuel pellets, or several other wood by-products.

Reconditioned/recycled pallets go a long way toward reducing a company’s footprint on the environment. Over 68% of pallets are recovered and repaired, so they can be used again.

Every business wants to be eco-friendly today. Repairing broken pallets not only saves trees that would be used for new pallets, but it saves the energy to harvest them, mill the wood, and build the pallet. Following that business practice means a company can bill itself as a “green” company, a big advantage in today’s economy.

Good for Your Bottom Line

Another of the benefits of reconditioned wooden pallets is your business’s bottom line. As wood resources get used more and more and become less available, the cost of hardwood continues to rise. Businesses all over the world are seeing the cost of their new pallets increase regularly. Relying on a company that reconditions and remanufactures wooden pallets is a smart business decision, potentially resulting in big cost savings.

And reconditioned pallets can meet ISPM-15 requirements. These are the regulations applied to pallets that are used in exporting, and are upheld by the American Lumber Standards Committee in the United States.

The Safety Issue

Businesses that rely on pallets to move their product may question the safety of reconditioned wooden pallets. Pallet manufacturers meet the required standards to insure that reused pallets are safe. The following are steps a manufacturer/recycler can take to recondition a used pallet:

  • Replace missing or damaged boards and nails
  • Straighten warped wood
  • Eliminate protrusions

Eventually the reconditioned wooden pallet will need to be recycled and today’s pallet recycling industry is helping create new, useful products from old pallets including wood mulch, flooring, furniture and a variety of craft projects.

Repairing/Reconditioning: The Specifics

Repairing and reconditioning are very different from recycling. Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably but they are very different. Another of the benefits of reconditioned wooden pallets is that those that are slightly damaged can be repaired/reconditioned and reused for business. Pallets that are at the end of their “business” life can be recycled into the products mentioned above. Reconditioning a wooden pallet requires:

  • Replacing missing or damaged boards and nails
  • Strengthening loose boards
  • Straightening twisted or warped boards
  • Making sure the boards are all flush with no protrusions anywhere

The recycling process involves taking the old pallet apart and removing the nails. Undamaged boards can be reused to repair other pallets while boards that can no longer be used for pallet repair can become something else such as mulch.

The wooden pallet industry has become a model of sustainable business in the United States. Sustainable or green businesses have minimal negative impact on the global environment, community, society, or economy. They strive to have a major impact on the bottom line by re-using materials and natural resources.

Greenway Products & Services, LLC is one of the largest pallet remanufacturers and recyclers in the New York metropolitan area. We also accept scrap wood and landscaping debris from our customers that we turn into valuable resources. Greenway is a full-service pallet management company. Contact us for a quote today. Visit our website, greenwaypsllc.com or call us at 732-442-0200. We can deliver trailers to you on a moment’s notice throughout the Tri-state NY-NJ-PA area.