Get rid of pallets
How do I get rid of pallets after a move or a delivery?
Updated
Short answer: For a few pallets at home, the quickest options are giving them away locally (Marketplace, Craigslist, Freecycle, Nextdoor), dropping them at a pallet recycler, or asking the company that delivered them to take them back. Most curbside trash won't take pallets. For a bigger pile, book a pickup. Check the stamp before burning or reusing any pallet.
Start with the company that delivered it
Appliance, furniture, flooring and landscaping deliveries often arrive on pallets. Some delivery crews will take the pallet away if you ask on the day, and some suppliers take back their own pallets. If the pallet is blue, red or stamped with a company name, it probably belongs to a pallet pool and should go back. See pooled pallets.
Your options, from cheapest
- Give them away. Post a photo and the count on Marketplace, Craigslist, Freecycle or Nextdoor. Leave them by the curb or driveway for collection. Expect a few messages and some no-shows.
- Drop them at a pallet recycler. Many accept drop-offs of usable pallets, sometimes broken ones too. Call to check hours and what they take.
- Book a pickup. Worth it for a bigger pile. Book here and the triage will tell you whether it is likely free.
- Junk removal. Fast, but you pay for truck space, and pallets are bulky.
Can they go out with the trash?
Usually not. Most municipal curbside programs don't accept pallets, or only as a scheduled bulk item with limits on size and number. Some cities let you cut them down and bundle them like yard waste. Check your city's or county's solid waste page before you put them out, since an item left at the curb against the rules can bring a fine.
Before you reuse or burn a pallet
Pallets that cross borders carry an IPPC stamp (a wheat-ear logo with codes). The codes that matter:
- HT: heat-treated. The usual treatment for new pallets.
- MB: fumigated with methyl bromide, a toxic pesticide. Don't burn these or use them for raised garden beds, furniture or anything children touch.
- DB: debarked. Says nothing about chemicals.
An unstamped pallet hasn't necessarily been treated, but it may have carried anything. Skip pallets with stains, spills or a chemical smell. Never burn painted pallets, and check local rules before any open burning.