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Pallets
Pallets are rigid platforms made of wood, plastic, or paperboard used for shipping a variety of products including food, paper, and military supplies. Wooden pallets can be repaired or rebuilt with wood from old pallets. Plastic and corrugated pallets can be manufactured from recovered materials.
- Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges
- Product Specifications
- Product Information
- Additional Links
Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges:
EPA's RMAN recommends recycled-content levels for purchasing pallets as shown in the table below.
| Product | Material | Postconsumer Content (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden pallets | Wood | 95-100 |
| Plastic pallets: | ||
| - Plastic lumber | Plastic | 100 |
| - Thermoformed | Plastic | 25-50 |
| - Paperboard pallets | Paperboard | 50 |
¹ EPA's recommendation does not preclude a procuring agency from purchasing pallets manufactured from another material. It simply requires that a procuring agency, when purchasing pallets made from wood, plastic, or paperboard, purchase these items made with recovered materials when these items meet applicable specifications and performance requirements.
Product Specifications:
EPA recommends that procuring agencies use the following specifications when procuring pallets:
- The Grocery Manufacturers of America issued a widely used standard for 48 by 40-inch stringer pallets known as the "GMA spec."
- The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) is developing a standard through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for repairable 48 by 40-inch lumber-deck pallets. Contact NWPCA at 703 527-7667 for current information about the availability of this standard.
- US Postal Service (USPS) specification USPS-P-1108, "Pallet, Nestable, Plastic, Thermoformed (Item No. 3919B)" is for thermoformed HDPE pallets.
Product Information:
Database
of Manufacturers and Suppliers
This database identifies manufacturers and suppliers
of pallets containing reused or recovered materials.
Additional Links:
2007 Buy-Recycled Series: Miscellaneous Products (PDF) (7 pp, 146K, About PDF)This fact sheet highlights miscellaneous products designated in the CPG, including pallets, and includes case studies, recommended recovered-content levels, and a list of resources.
Technical Background Document
This background document includes EPA's product research on reused and recovered-content pallets as well as a more detailed overview of the history and regulatory requirements of the CPG process.
