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Free Pallets – Ten Places Where to Find Free or Low Cost Pallets

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free pallets
A scene outside of a craft beer location in Vancouver, Canada. Keeping your eyes open is fundamental to securing free pallets. A word of caution, the pallets in the photo have “Property of…” wording which means you should pass on these ones.

 

Editor’s note: Do you have pallets you need to be removed? People looking for pallets have posted their contact information in the comment section below.

Wondering where to find free or low-cost pallets? I often receive inquiries about where to find such pallets to start a home craft project, or more steady sources of used pallets to generate work as a pallet street vendor or a pallet recycling business. Pallets available at no cost typically include unusual sizes, small qualities, or ones that are otherwise undesirable due to poor condition or appearance.

Ten Places to Find Free Pallets for Hobbyists/Crafters

Free pallets can be found in a great variety of places where pallets are emptied, or where they are disposed of. Once you become mindful of pallets, whether you see them being unloaded at a location or being set outside to rest against a wall, the possibility of securing a supply begins to emerge. Empty pallets might be the end result of a regular delivery cycle, such as the regular consignment to a feed and tack store, so once you develop a pattern, you can keep on going back to the same location on the day they typically are available. Unlike the regular delivery cycle, however, there are also “one-off” palletized deliveries that result in unwanted empty pallets. For those ones, it may come down to being in the right place at the right time.

The best pallets are in new condition, with clean, dry wood. Pallets which have been used several times can be soiled and stained. They are more likely to harbor bacteria, and thus are less attractive to the pallet hobbyist. For a pallet enthusiast looking for a weathered appearance, however, the latter just might be perfect.

Here are ten sources for free, clean pallets:

  • Bars and craft beer locations
  • Pet food stores
  • Feed & Tack stores
  • Stationary shops
  • Furniture stores
  • Liquor stores
  • Schools
  • Flooring stores
  • Other small retail
  • Construction sites

Ask Before Taking Pallets

Where only small quantities are available, or where the pallets are not one of the popular sizes such as 48×40”, then pallets are more likely to be happily released at no charge to the collector. It should be cautioned that pallets stored outside of a small business are not necessarily “free for the taking.” The pallet collector should receive permission from the business owner before removing pallets. Once you have established a relationship with the proprietor, however, the pallet enthusiast may be given blanket permission to come by and pick up empty pallets.

One cautionary note is the issue of pallet markings. If the pallet has an ownership stamp on it, such as CHEP, PECO, iGPS, Coca-Cola, U.S. Postal Service or others, then these pallets should not be removed. Such companies claim to vigorously enforce the property rights to their pallets, and you may find yourself charged with unlawful possession of them.

Also of concern are issues of contamination and safe handling. Please refer to the links immediately below to explore further.

Purchasing Used Pallets

In addition to finding old pallets, they may also be purchased – typically online. The Home Depot offers recycled pallets and disassembled recycled pallet kits, while pallet wood is also available on sites such as Etsy and Craigslist.  This business offers old pallet wood to customers in South Carolina.

Further Reading:

What Is a Pallet?

Standard Pallet Sizes in Inches and Centimeters

Are Wood Pallets Safe for Crafting?

Shipping Your Beer Using Pallets – A Complete Resource Guide for Brewers

Commercial Pallet Collection

Larger quantities of standard-sized 48×40″ pallets or other popular sizes often command a price. Small quantities of empty pallets are often picked up by pallet street vendors, commonly referred to as pallet pickers, who in turn, typically sell them to pallet recycling companies. Larger pallet recycling companies provide regular pickup or dock sweep services to businesses that regularly generate large quantities of empty pallets.

Larger generators of surplus pallet cores often have an expectation of being paid for them and may have an exclusive arrangement in place with a recycling company. You will soon get an idea of what prevailing market prices are for cores in your area, and these vary from region to region, depending upon supply and demand. The Recycle Record is a market report that provides regional information about recycled pallet pricing. In addition to price, pallet recyclers may also compete for cores with respect to service. The pallet recycler may be required to drop empty trailers for the business to load as it generates empty pallets, or to provide smaller quantity pickup if the business does not have the room or a dock door to facilitate storage of empty pallets inside or on a drop trailer.

For picking up smaller pallet quantities, pallet street vendors may use flatbed or pickup trucks, and sometimes utility trailers. Be sure to practice pallet handling safety. Use gloves to protect hands from slivers, use proper lifting techniques, including keeping the pallet close to the torso and back straight. Because pallets can often weigh 60 pounds or more, proper lifting techniques should be employed, utilizing the help of other individuals or lift equipment such as forklifts where available.

Larger recyclers often purchase pallets from pallet street vendors who accumulate pallets from small businesses. Typically they drop these off at the recycler’s yard, sorting them into appropriate stacks after arrival. Many recycling businesses now take safeguards to prevent any concern about dealing in stolen pallets. As such, they may require a photocopy of the street vendor’s driver’s license, and pay by check.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Looking for free Wood pallets in the Kennesaw, Acworth, and Douglasville, GA area. Thank you so much and have a blessed one.

  4. Hi we want to starta business with starting to make fir starters and we looking for reusable pallets as we can’t afford to buy now can you assist us thank you. Regards Donovan.

  5. i am looking for free pallets in San Antonio texas , pls email at Lashawnalaumea2016@gmail . Thank You!

  11. Are plastic pallets strong enough to hold furniture? In western NY area of Buffalo. Where can I find them for free? Thanks.

  12. Plastic pallets are typically rated for at least 1,000 pounds or more, so they should be able to hold furniture. Keep in mind that pallets are designed for uniformly distributed weight, and so if the furniture is sitting on legs, there could be an issue if the furniture was really heavy, but I doubt that it would be an issue.

  14. Hi everyone! I’m looking for free pallets to create a picnic table outdoors to celebrate my birthday this year. I’m located near the Decatur, Lithonia, Stone Mountain, Conyers, and Stockbridge/Ellenwood areas.

  15. Dorothy Carroll
    Looking for free pallets in Leland, NC
    Please contact me at: 910-616-0924

  17. Hello everyone. I’m looking for free used pallets for my non profit business. I’m in the Atlanta area. This includes Forest Park, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Union City, Fayetteville, Ga., Douglasville,

    Please contact me at: 404-668-1791
    revans404@yahoo.com

  21. I’m looking for 4 of 36 x 36 or 38 x 38 wood pallets for a diy outdoor wedding bar project in the west suburban Chicagoland area. Appreciate any help or suggestions. Email me at lizkasperson@aol.com!

  24. Does anyone want large corrugated cardboard pallets?
    We have 45+ of them we’d like to remove from our business.
    Most are 3’x6’ but we have a few that are bigger. They hold up very well with even weighted loads (like stacks of doors)

  31. Hello , I’m in the south Jersey area (cherry hill) . I have a company where we go around town collecting used or damaged pallets . If interested in our work contact me via phone .
    856-236-5549

    Blessings and thank you .

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