Pallet Upcycling, Repurposing and Mezcal: Reflections of a Pallethead

Mezcal is a booming, albeit environmentally complicated, industry here. In some areas, critical forest cover has been compromised to meet the growing international demand for this traditional alcohol. Not long ago, mezcal was a drink consumed primarily by locals; however, its price has surged as it has gained widespread popularity in the United States and beyond.

While our guide explains the mezcal-making process, something else catches my eye — a different product that has also trended in recent years: the wooden pallet. Several pallets have been repurposed to create a rustic bar.

While most visitors focus on the differences between cultivated Espadín and the more exotic wild species of agave that create mezcal’s diverse and intense flavors, I’m drawn toward the rickety wooden pallet structure.

Upcycling vs. Repurposing: What’s the Difference?

Full disclosure: my interest in pallets is far greater than healthy, according to my wife and adult daughter. I am what is known in the business as a “pallethead,” having written about them for over 30 years for publications like Pallet Enterprise Magazine, Reusable Packaging News, and Western Pallet Magazine.

To be clear, upcycling and repurposing pallets isn’t my job. My work mainly involves reporting on reusable packaging and pallet production and best practices for their use in supply chains. However, I’ve long been fascinated by the pallet upcycling trend. One of my most popular articles over the years was about where to find free pallets.

“Upcycling” and “repurposing” are often used interchangeably in the trade, but technically, they’re distinct. Upcycling involves deconstructing pallets to create new and more valuable items from salvaged wood, such as furniture and art projects. Repurposing, on the other hand, uses whole pallets for projects like fences, swimming pool walls, or, as in this case, the vertical structure of a bar.

When Pallets Became an Environmental Problem

There was a time when empty, unwanted pallets were a significant issue for supply chains. By the early 1990s, some automotive companies reported struggling with mountains of empty pallets, sometimes tens of thousands. It was a one-way system, contrasting starkly with the circular economy aspirations of today. Back then, shippers often bought new pallets for every shipment, and pallet reuse hadn’t yet gained widespread traction in many industries.

Interestingly, we were arguably more resourceful a century ago. Henry Ford, for example, specified that certain automobile parts arrive in wood packaging designed to be disassembled and used for Model T floorboards rather than ending up in the garbage.

Wall Street Journal: Pallets “Breeding Like Rabbits”

By April 1998, the pallet problem had hit mainstream headlines. At the North American Material Handling trade show in Detroit, I joined Pallet Enterprise publisher Ed Brindley, John Healy (then Executive Vice President of the NWPCA), and other industry insiders for dinner in Greektown. The talk of the evening? A Wall Street Journal article was published that day about the curse of empty pallet accumulations in lots and alleys. “As Old Pallets Pile Up, Critics Hammer Them As a New Eco-Menace,” the Wall Street Journal headline warned. “They can deliver the goods, but they clog landfills and gobble up trees.” According to the piece, pallets were “breeding like rabbits.”

Even as that story reverberated, change was already underway. Commercial pallet recycling, the collecting, refurbishing, and reselling of used pallets, was beginning to take shape, helping to reduce the overflowing parking lots and abandoned pallets that had inspired the WSJ article.

While recycling addressed much of the empty pallet problem, plenty remained uncollected in the wild, especially small quantities or odd-sized pallets that were uneconomical to return. These pallets were to become valuable resources for the burgeoning pallet upcycling movement. I dabbled in upcycling during the 1990s, dismantling small pallets to build children’s picnic tables for my kids and other neighborhood families.

Pallet Upcycling as a Reflection of Broader Social Shifts

By the 2010s, pallet upcycling gained serious traction, peaking around 2021, as evidenced by a surge in Google searches for “free pallets.” This trend aligns with broader shifts in social attitudes toward upcycling.

Upcycling, reuse, and repurposing have grown increasingly popular, particularly in sectors like fashion and building materials. Factors like environmental concern, aesthetic appeal, and economics drive these trends.

Upcycled products typically have a smaller environmental footprint than new ones, bypassing the resource consumption and energy required for new production. For example, upcycling salvaged wood into furniture avoids the environmental toll of manufacturing new wood products and postpones solid waste generation.

Aesthetic appeal also plays a role. Upcycled items often feature distinctive, one-of-a-kind designs that attract consumers seeking individuality. These creations often blend utility with creativity, transforming discarded materials into functional, visually striking pieces. Many upcycled goods are regarded as art, showcasing craftsmanship and originality.

Economically, using free or inexpensive materials, whether it’s pallet wood for furniture or unwanted textiles for garments, saves money, ensuring upcycling’s enduring appeal.

Pallet Upcycling as a Marker of Social Change?

But what about pallets? When it comes to being a marker of social change, are they leading indicators or laggards?

Google searches for “free pallets” peaked in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since declined, suggesting either a waning trend or the settling of a “new normal.” It’s difficult to say definitively: declining search volume might reflect a more knowledgeable user base rather than declining interest.

For comparison, searches for “vintage clothing” peaked earlier, around 2012, and have similarly stabilized. This raises broader questions about how trends mature and settle over time.

For me, the pallet upcycling trend was an eye-opener. However, the comparison suggests that pallets might be more of a lagging indicator of sustainability interest than a leading one, at least relative to vintage clothing. Even so, we can expect continued growth in environmental awareness, consumer demand for sustainability, and cultural shifts favoring handmade and unique products.

Upcycling and repurposing are here to stay. While the novelty of pallet projects may no longer inspire as many photos and social media posts, for die-hard palletheads, a good pallet bar is still hard to resist, even when mezcal is on the menu

Rick LeBlanc is the editor of Reusable Packaging News and has covered the pallet industry for more than three decades.