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Every year, approximately 420 million new pallets are manufactured in the United States, and nearly 3 billion are in circulation at any given time. The environmental impact of this wooden infrastructure is enormous, but it does not have to be negative.
Pallet recycling is one of the most effective circular economy practices in the logistics industry. Here is how it helps the planet.
Reducing Landfill Waste — Pallets are one of the largest single items found in commercial waste streams. The EPA reports that wood pallets and packaging account for approximately 26 million tons of waste annually. Recycling diverts this material from landfills, where it would decompose and release methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO2.
Conserving Forests — A single standard 48x40 pallet requires approximately 12 board feet of lumber. By recycling and repairing pallets, we reduce the demand for new lumber, helping preserve forests that serve as critical carbon sinks and wildlife habitats.
Lowering Carbon Emissions — Manufacturing a new pallet produces approximately 28.5 kg of CO2 equivalent. Repairing and reusing an existing pallet produces a fraction of that. Across the millions of pallets recycled annually, this adds up to a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Water Conservation — Lumber production is water-intensive, from tree growth to sawmill operations. Every pallet that gets a second (or third, or fourth) life means less water consumed in the manufacturing of its replacement.
Energy Savings — Even pallets that are too damaged to repair can be recycled. The wood is chipped and used for mulch, animal bedding, biomass fuel, or engineered wood products. This cascading use ensures that the embodied energy of the original tree is maximized.
At Bakersfield Pallet Co., we have recycled over 50,000 pallets annually, keeping approximately 750 tons of wood out of landfills each year. Our multi-stage sorting and repair process ensures that every pallet reaches its highest possible use before being chipped for secondary applications.