A comparative study of Refurbished and Remanufactured pallets

There's nothing quite like the smell of fresh timber and your goods certainly look good on those clean new pallets, but with timber costs increasing dramatically, it is certainly time to be looking at alternatives. It is easy to find remanufactured and refurbished pallets for sale at attractive prices but are they as good as new ones and what do "refurbished" and "remanufactured" actually mean?

Refurbished pallets for sale

Before a refurbished pallet can be sold, the law requires it to have been professionally assessed, repaired if necessary and then retreated in accordance with the same standards as a new pallet. Some people call these pallets "recycled" but that can be a misleading term: recycled paper, for example, has been completely degraded and remanufactured and never has the same qualities as new paper but a recycled pallet has simply been restored to a condition almost as good as new. In practice, they are often graded "A" when they have minimal cosmetic damage and "B" if they needed repair work.

It is important to appreciate that no pallet can be sold as "refurbished" unless the restoration has been conducted by accredited professionals. The pallet's markings will then also be updated to reflect the new treatments and any repairs conducted. This is your guarantee of a high quality and fully compliant pallet, which is particularly important if you export goods.

The most obvious advantage in using recycled pallets is that they are significantly cheaper, around 30%, and that price advantage could widen in the current inflationary climate. Another advantage is that refurbished pallets for sale are always available immediately, whereas new or remanufactured ones sometimes have to be ordered. Given the recent supply chain difficulties with timber, buying new could be a risky investment if you need a large number by a specific date. All types of refurbished pallets are available including winged pallets and 3 leggers.

Because refurbished pallets are graded, it also gives you an opportunity to better scale your expenditure to your requirements. For example, if your shipment is likely to be a one-off, you can choose a lower grade which can be assumed to have a shorter lifespan. On the other hand, if your deliveries are routine and the pallets come swiftly back to your yard, choosing to buy grade A pallets will guarantee the longest possible service life.

Refurbished pallets actually have a few advantages over new ones. Knots in the wood are much less likely to exude tar and the more seasoned wood can be even more resistant to mildew than the surface of a new pallet. Even though great care is taken to choose appropriate timber for new pallet construction, it is not unknown for the dimensions to alter slightly after exposure to extra wet or dry conditions. In contrast, a refurbished pallet will be more settled and its dimensions have undergone an additional check (and correction if necessary) as part of the refurbishment process.

What imperfections should you expect?

The most likely difference between a grade A refurbished pallet and a new one will be the colour. It may be slightly duller from age or discoloured from exposure to sunlight. In some, mending plates may have been added to the stringers or the deck boards may not entirely match. In a grade B pallet, discolouration may be more noticeable and repair plugs and plates could be more numerous. Small splits are allowable in some stringers.

Remanufactured pallets

A remanufactured pallet mostly uses good parts that have been recovered from damaged pallets and were judged uneconomical to repair (refurbish). Nothing is needlessly wasted so they are carefully dismantled and new pallets constructed from the components (deck boards, stringers, lead boards, brackets) often with some new materials as well, where necessary. Again, the resulting pallet is retreated in accordance with international regulations and stamped accordingly.

Remanufactured pallets are sometimes called "remans" for short, or "combos" when they include both recycled and new timbers. In general, they are just as sturdy and reliable as a new pallet and can be cosmetically overhauled to look as clean as new. If you pre-order, they can be built to your own particular specifications.

In summary, both refurbished and remanufactured pallets are perfectly good alternatives to new pallets for the great majority of shippers, but always use a professionally licensed pallet professional.