The large wooden pallets that are used to transport an abundance of items, from tiles, to bags of fertilizer, to boxes of toys are everywhere. Some people have them at their homes, after a large home improvement project. Some stores or warehouses have them in their loading areas, unsure what to do with them. Luckily, pallet recycling is an option. The environmental movement is on many consumers and business owners’ minds these days. The best pallets are made entirely of wood, which can be recycled in many different ways.
Pallet recycling can include reusing those that are in good condition. It can also mean that old or broken pallets can be dismantled and reconstructed or repaired to look as good as new. Oftentimes, a business owner needs custom-designed pallets. Instead of using new wood, a pallet recycling company can create the perfect pallet from old pallets, thereby reusing and recycling the wood and saving a tree in the process. Many of those recycling companies take the old nails and other metal parts and send them to companies that can recycle metal, as well.
There are other uses for unwanted pallets, too. For example, many pallet recycling companies shred the pallets to make mulch for gardening or landscaping. Fireplace logs and furniture can also be created – all through pallet recycling.
Many people have become quite creative with their old pallets. If they decide not to sell them to a pallet recycling company, there are a plethora of other options – all which work to have the pallet avoid the overcrowded area landfills. For example, a unique fence can be erected or a sturdy storage shed can be constructed easily out of old pallets. Rustic-looking bird feeders or country bird houses can be created, also. One of the best uses for untreated wooden pallets is for fuel for bonfires or wood-burning stoves.
There are endless ideas for wooden pallets. Resell them to a recycling company and make a little money or create a new product that can be sold or traded. Depending on the kind of wood that the pallet is constructed of, there some of the best structures can be made out of a discarded wooden pallet. Purchasing mulch by the bag is much more expensive than purchasing recycled pallet mulch.
By Deanna Baranyi