Who buys used pallets, and what they look for
Who buys used pallets? Plants and distribution centers that need sorted stock for outbound loads, exporters that need marked wood, and recyclers that take cores to repair, rebuild or grind. Each looks at a different part of your pile.
- 01Plants and DCs
- Sorted 48 x 40, Grade A or B
- 02Exporters
- Heat-treated, marked
- 03Recyclers
- Cores and mixed loads
- 04Small buyers
- A few dozen sound pallets
BOX 01The four kinds of buyer
| Buyer | Wants | Passes on |
|---|---|---|
| Plants and distribution centers | Sorted standard sizes in a steady supply | Mixed and broken piles |
| Exporters and forwarders | Heat-treated wood with a readable IPPC mark | Unmarked or repaired-after-treatment pallets |
| Pallet recyclers | Cores, mixed loads and anything repairable | Wood that is rotted through |
| Small businesses | Tens of sound pallets for their own freight | Large piles they cannot store |
BOX 02What makes a pile attractive
Size, grade and count are the whole of it. A pile of 48 x 40 pallets that are mostly Grade A and B, counted and stacked where a truck can reach them, has the most buyers. A pile with several sizes needs sorting, and the buyer subtracts that work from what the pile is worth, which is why mixed loads sell on different terms.
A pallet that ships a 2,000 pound load is expected to hold it. Standard 48 x 40 GMA pallets support 2,000 to 2,800 pounds under dynamic loading, per Mecalux, so a buyer checks for cracked stringers first.
BOX 03The Memphis angle
The buyers sit close to the freight: parcels at the airport, containers at the ramps, trailers on I-40, I-55 and Lamar Avenue, and barges at Presidents Island. Pallets tend to move to the nearest dock that is short of them, which is why a request that includes your ZIP code does more work than one that does not. See the areas pages for the corners of the metro.
BOX 04Send what you have
Give the size, the grade if you know it, the count, and the pickup ZIP. The request page asks nothing more up front, and its second step takes the rest. For pricing questions, read what pallets are worth.
BOX 05What each buyer asks first
A recycler asks how many are whole. A reseller asks how many are 48 x 40 and Grade A or B. A manufacturer asks whether the pile can be a regular supply. An exporter asks about the stamp. None of these is a hard rule, but expecting the first question tells you which number to put at the top of the request.
FAQStraight answers
Can I sell blue CHEP pallets?
No. Pooled pallets belong to CHEP and are not for sale by the businesses that hold them.
Will anyone take pallets for free?
Sometimes a recycler takes cores for free, because the wood has value to them. That is a clearing request. See pallet removal.
Last reviewed 12 November 2026. Sources: