Used plastic pallets
Used plastic pallets suit docks that wash down, run closed loops or want a pallet that does not rot. Requests for them are welcome, new, like new or used, but the desk’s main line is wood.
Plastic or wood
| Plastic | Wood | |
|---|---|---|
| Wash-down | Can be washed and does not soak | Soaks and can grow mold if kept damp |
| Rot and splinters | Neither | Both, with age |
| ISPM 15 | Not wood packaging, so not regulated by the standard | Regulated for international trade |
| Repair | Hard to repair | Easy to repair, board by board |
| Where it fits | Closed loops, wash-down, food-contact docks | Most open-loop freight |
ISPM 15 regulates wood packaging material in international trade. A plastic pallet is not wood, which is why export docks sometimes choose one.
Conditions we use
Plastic pallets are described as new, like new or used. Used means the pallet has been in service and may have scuffs or small cracks. Tell us if there are cracks, since a cracked plastic pallet is not a pallet.
What to tell us
- Size and count.
- Whether the dock is closed-loop, where the pallet comes back.
- The load, since plastic pallets are rated by load and by racking.
- Whether you also have wood pallets to move. That makes it a sell and a buy in one request.
About plastic in this region
Metal pallets make up less than 1% of the pallet market; plastic is the main alternative to wood. Plastic requests are read like any other, and no stock figure is claimed.
Where plastic fits and where it does not
Metal pallets make up under one percent of the market, and plastic is a small share too. Plastic suits closed loops: a plant that ships to a known customer who returns the pallet, where the lifetime cost matters more than the purchase price. They are not usually accepted in the open pallet market for resale, which is why the desk deals mainly in wood.
If you need plastic, tell us the load, the number of trips and whether the pallet will be returned. We say whether we can help or point you to a dedicated supplier.
Questions to ask before choosing plastic
- Will the pallet come back? Plastic pays for itself only over many trips.
- Does the customer accept it? Some docks refuse plastic for safety or cleaning reasons.
- Does it need to nest or stack? Many plastic designs nest for return shipping.
- What is the load? Check the dynamic and static ratings against the weight.
Where plastic fits
Plastic pallets are lighter, do not splinter and do not host mold the way damp wood can, which is why some food, pharmaceutical and closed-loop users like them. They cost more up front and are not repaired the way a wood pallet is, so a broken one is usually the end of it.
Closed loops are where plastic works best, because the pallets come back. In an open, one-way flow they tend to leave and not return, and that is where wood is the safer choice. Tell us which kind of flow yours is.
What we can say and what we cannot
Used plastic is a smaller part of what moves through this region than wood, and stock changes. Send the size, the count and the use, and the answer is a yes, a no or a question, never a catalog price.
Send the count
Questions
- Do you sell plastic pallets?
- Requests for used plastic pallets can be sent through the form. The main line is wood.
- Do plastic pallets need an ISPM 15 stamp?
- No. The standard regulates wood packaging material.
- What share of pallets are metal?
- Under one percent of the pallet market, according to Wikipedia.
Related
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-11.