repallet.org

North Carolina: wooden pallet landfill ban

Wooden pallets are on the statute's list of materials that may not be disposed of in landfills, except that they may go to a landfill permitted to accept only construction and demolition debris.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-309.10(f)(12). In force since October 1, 2009. Last reviewed October 27, 2026 by repallet.org editors. Not legal advice.

What the law says

  • Wooden pallets are on the statute's list of materials that may not be disposed of in landfills, except that they may go to a landfill permitted to accept only construction and demolition debris. G.S. 130A-309.10(f)(12) (source)
  • The ban was enacted by Session Law 2005-362 (House Bill 1465) and took effect for municipal solid waste landfills on October 1, 2009. S.L. 2005-362; NC DEQ, Wooden Pallets (source)
  • NC DEQ reads the C&D exception narrowly: pallets may go to a C&D landfill only if they were generated as C&D waste under rule 15A NCAC 13B .0532, and pallets from industries other than building construction are not allowed in any landfill. NC DEQ, Wooden Pallets (source)
  • A county or city may petition the state for a waiver from the pallet ban by showing that it would cause economic hardship. G.S. 130A-309.10(k) (source)
  • The statute's incineration list in subsection (f1) does not include wooden pallets, so the ban is a landfill ban, not a ban on combustion. G.S. 130A-309.10(f1) (source)

What to do

Ask your hauler where your pallets go, and put reuse or grinding in the contract. The Pallet Fate Report shows the tons you'd move out of landfill.

Sources

  1. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 130A-309.10 (prohibited acts; disposal bans) North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed October 27, 2026.
  2. Wooden Pallets N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. Accessed October 27, 2026.

Related