Reconditioned plastic pallets
Reconditioned plastic pallets are used pallets that have been cleaned, checked and repaired by welding or swapping a part before being sold again. The word tells you work was done, not how well, so ask what.
- Means
- Cleaned, checked, repaired
- Repair methods
- Welding, component replacement
- Guide scale
- Grade A, B, C
- Ask
- Which work, how many
Reconditioned, the way a guide puts it
A reconditioning guide groups reconditioned pallets into Grade A (good as new, suits retail display, export or high-value goods), Grade B (serviceable, may show visible wear or cosmetic repairs) and Grade C (utility, single trips and light storage), and says plastic pallets may be repaired by welding or component replacement.
What to ask a reconditioner
| Ask | A useful answer |
|---|---|
| What was done to this lot? | Cleaned, inspected, N welded, N swapped |
| Which parts were swapped? | The maker's part, in the same resin |
| Who did the welding? | A named process, not "fixed" |
| What does the grade mean? | The wear table, in words |
| What should it not carry? | Racking, food contact, heavy stacks |
How we use the word
On this site reconditioned lots are graded as like new, used and clean or repaired according to what the walk-around shows. If every pallet in a lot was inspected and the cracked ones repaired, the lot says so, with counts. The label alone does not set the grade.
- Cleaned: said only if it was
- Inspected: said with what was checked
- Repaired: counted, with where
What reconditioned should mean
Reconditioned should mean that a pallet was inspected, cleaned or repaired and returned to a stated standard. Ask which of the three was done and by whom. Washing is not repair, and a weld is not an inspection. A pallet that has been reconditioned should carry a description of the work, and a lot should say how many pieces were swapped. A buyer who asks gets a clear answer from a seller who did the work.
Evidence of reconditioning
Ask for evidence. A reconditioned lot should show matched replacement pieces, clean fused joins, and a consistent look across the stack. Mismatched colours on a pallet are usually a snap-lock swap; a rough bead along a runner is a weld. Each is acceptable if described. What is not acceptable is a lot described as reconditioned in which the work cannot be seen or explained.
Reconditioned in a closed loop
Reconditioning matters most in closed loops, where the same pallets return again and again. There, a record of each cycle, the faults found and the parts replaced lets the owner predict when a pallet should retire. Ask whether the lot comes from such a loop and whether the records can be summarised in the description.
What to write down about a lot
- Footprint in both units, with the readings you took rather than the label.
- Number of stacks, pallets per stack and any odd stacks left over.
- Makers and model numbers seen on plates or moulded into the ribs.
- Count of repaired, mismatched or cracked pieces, and where each sits.
- Marks, colours and any smell, with a note on who confirmed each.
When something looks wrong
- Stop unloading and photograph the fault before anything moves.
- Count how many pallets show the same fault, to see if it is a lot problem or a one-off.
- Tell the desk or the seller in writing the same day, with the photographs attached.
- Hold the affected stacks apart until you hear back.
- Keep one sample pallet unused, so the maker or an inspector can examine it.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: clean, with repair seams located
- 2Corners: corner repairs identified
- 3Runners: runner repairs identified
- 4Fork pockets: pocket repairs identified
- Reconditioner's work list requested
Words used on this page
- ISPM 15
- The international standard for treating wood packaging against pests. Plastic pallets are outside it.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
- Welding repair
- Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Closed loop
- Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
What the sources say
- That Nelson model is under 5 in tall, which the page says suits air freight, and works with automation and most roller conveyors. nelsoncompany.com
- Rehrig Pacific's rackable pallet has a two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair and options for FDA-approved colours, RFID and up to 15 percent black recycled content. rehrigpacific.com
- Plastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy; a typical GMA wood pallet weighs about 37 lb. en.wikipedia.org
- HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking. nelsoncompany.com
How a request works
- Pick the footprint, then the grade you can live with.
- Say what the pallets will carry and how many you need.
- Read the written lot description that comes back.
- Agree the lot before anything moves.
The four grades, in a line each
- Like new. A few trips only. Clean, no cracks, no missing parts, deck and runners flat.
- Used and clean. Many trips, scuffs and colour variation, but whole and usable for general-purpose or closed-loop work.
- Repaired. A cracked or chipped part welded or swapped. Some designs use snap-lock parts for repair.
- Mixed lot. Mixed makers, colours and sizes sold by the truckload, sorted by footprint.
Questions people ask
Is reconditioned better than used?
It can be, if the work is described. Without a description, it is used with a label.
Is reconditioned the same as refurbished?
Mostly. See the refurbished page for how the two words are used.
Can reconditioned pallets go to export?
Yes, since plastic is outside ISPM 15, and a guide suggests Grade A suits export.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.