Core (pallet core)
A used pallet in a common size and repairable condition, bought by recyclers to repair and resell.
In the used pallet trade, a core is a pallet a recycler can repair and resell, usually in a standard footprint. Recyclers buy or collect cores, grade them, repair the ones that need it and sell them back to shippers.
Cores are the reason sorting pays. A mixed pile of pallets is worth less to a recycler than a stack of sorted cores, because sorting is labour. Some recyclers pay for good cores; others collect free. We don't publish prices because they vary by region, size and season; ask for a quote.
For reporting, cores that go back into service are reuse. They count toward WARM's reuse credit of −1.66 MTCO2E per short ton for dimensional lumber. Ask your recycler what share of your pallets were sold as cores so you can report it accurately.
Sources
- Documentation for Greenhouse Gas Emission and Energy Factors Used in WARM, Version 16: Construction Materials Chapters, ch. 12 Wood Products (EPA-530-R-23-020) U.S. EPA. Accessed October 27, 2026. Exhibits 12-3 (p. 12-3), 12-9, 12-13, 12-15 and 12-16 (p. 12-10).