Here are some steps you can take to increase the value of your pallets and make recycling easier when you are finished with them:

1.   Start with wood pallets. Wood is the only material that is reusable, repairable, recyclable and made from a renewable resource.

2.   Buy properly designed, high quality pallets. In the past, make pallet users saw initial purchase price as the primary, if not only, criteria for purchasing pallets. Today, a growing number of smart pallet users employ more useful criteria for purchasing pallets – cost per trip. For those who are able to use multiple trip pallets, buying pallets based in cost per trip can mean substantial long-term savings and fewer pallets in the waste stream.

High quality pallets are easier and more likely to be repaired and used again and again. This way of thinking makes both environmental and financial sense.

Saving Time, Money and the Planet

While pallet recycling is environmentally and economically smart, concerned companies need to lend a hand in order to reap the benefits. If you only purchase the cheapest pallets available, chances are you’ll have to buy more pallets and have greater difficulty disposing of them. The key is, before you buy, to carefully consider how you can get the most out of your pallets during their life cycle and what you’ll do with them after they are worn or damaged.

Here are four steps you can take to increase the value of the pallets you purchase and make pallet disposal easier when you’re finished with them.