Pallets in a municipal recycling program
Pallets reach municipal facilities from small businesses and residents. A drop-off area for clean pallets, a contract with a reuse or grinding outlet, and clear rules on painted, MB and pooled pallets cover most of it. In states that ban pallets or wood from landfills, the program is how businesses comply.
Where the pallets come from
Small businesses, residents, municipal operations.
Mostly broken one-way pallets; some pooled pallets arrive by mistake.
Storage and handling
A separate pad at the transfer station or landfill. Vermont's statute expressly allows landfills to set aside areas for storing or processing banned materials (10 V.S.A. § 6621a(b)).
Program checklist
- Check your state's rules on our state pages.
- Open a pallet drop-off area separate from the tipping floor.
- Contract an outlet: reuse for sound pallets, grinding for the rest.
- Post rules on painted, MB and pooled pallets, and a return route for pooled ones.
- Report tons diverted in the annual solid waste report.
What to track
- Tons of pallets received and diverted
- Pooled pallets returned to owners
Model it
The Pallet Fate Report opens with a starting mix for a municipality. Replace it with your own counts; the figures are an illustration, not a benchmark.
Model this in the Pallet Fate Report
Sources
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-309.10 (prohibited acts; disposal bans) North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- 10 V.S.A. § 6621a Landfill disposal requirements Vermont General Assembly. Accessed October 27, 2026.