What drives the cost of used pallets
What drives the cost of used plastic pallets is mostly footprint, grade, rating, quantity and how the lot has to move, not a list price. This site states no prices, so this guide explains the levers instead.
- Levers
- Footprint, grade, rating, quantity, moving the lot
- New plastic vs hardwood
- Roughly 10 times
- Scrap
- Follows the regrind market
- This site
- States no prices
The levers, one by one
| Lever | Pushes cost up when | Pushes cost down when |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | It is uncommon in used supply | It is 48 x 40, the GMA standard |
| Grade | Like new, rated | Mixed lot, repaired |
| Rating | A rack rating is needed | Floor use only |
| Uniformity | One maker, one colour | Mixed makers |
| Quantity | Small, hand-picked | A truckload |
| Paperwork | Resin and colourant papers are needed | None needed |
| Moving the lot | Distance is long or the dock is hard | Close and easy |
What the sources say about the market
Plastic pallets can cost roughly ten times as much as hardwood pallets new, which is why used is attractive. Scrap pallets follow the regrind market and change often. As one dated data point, in April 2017 HDPE regrind from drums and IBCs was 24 to 27 cents per pound picked up in the US South. That figure is historical and says nothing about today.
How to get a number
Describe the lot you need, with footprint, grade, use, rating and quantity band, and request it. The reply describes a matched lot, and the price conversation comes after that. How freight is handled and anything on timing are settled in that reply and not published here.
- Start with the footprint
- Say what you will accept for wear
- Say what the pallets carry
- Say where they ship
What changes the answer, without a price
This desk does not publish prices, and it makes no promise about what a lot will cost. The things that move the answer are known: footprint, grade, quantity, how far the lot has to go, how many pieces have been repaired, whether the pallets are one maker or many, and how fast you need them. Describe those on the request and you can compare replies like with like.
Order of importance
Of the things that drive an answer, footprint and grade come first, since they decide which stock can match at all. Quantity and the distance from the lot to your dock come next. Repairs, marks and ratings are third, and urgency is last because it only matters once the first three have narrowed the choice. Write these in that order on the request, and the reply can follow the same sequence.
Storing a lot properly
- Keep stacks on a flat, dry slab, away from heaters, doorways and loading-bay draughts.
- Limit stack height to what the bottom pallet and the lift truck can safely manage.
- Shield pallets from sunlight with a tarp or a roof, since ultraviolet light chalks and embrittles some resins.
- Separate footprints, makers and grades with floor markings so pickers never guess.
- Leave an aisle wide enough for a fork truck to turn without clipping a corner.
Wear you can measure
- Deck bow: lay the straight edge across and slide a feeler between it and the deck.
- Runner flattening: compare the thickness of a worn runner with an unworn one.
- Corner loss: hold a square against the corner and note any missing plastic.
- Pocket height: measure the opening at both ends of each fork pocket.
- Weight: weigh three pallets on a platform scale and note the spread.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: deck grade you accept
- 2Corners: corner wear you accept
- 3Runners: runner wear you accept
- 4Fork pockets: pocket entry you need
- Quantity band written
Words used on this page
- GMA pallet
- The 48 x 40 in North American standard footprint.
- HDPE
- High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
- Regrind
- Plastic ground from used or scrap parts into flakes for moulding again.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
What the sources say
- In April 2017, HDPE HMW regrind from drums and IBCs was 24 to 27 cents per pound picked up in the US South (historical, not current). resource-recycling.com
- Plastic pallets are often described as lasting 100 trips or more, and can cost roughly 10 times as much as hardwood pallets. en.wikipedia.org
- 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
- Static capacity is the highest of the three ratings; racking is often the lowest; dynamic is always lower than static. 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
How much do used plastic pallets cost?
This site states no prices. The levers on this page move the number, and a request starts the conversation.
Why are plastic pallets expensive new?
They can cost roughly ten times as much as hardwood pallets.
What are scrap plastic pallets worth?
Prices follow the regrind market and change often. Ask a recycler.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.