Collect, Repair, Resale: How Wooden Pallets Makes You Money

Updated on: by Olivia

Curious how much do you get for recycling wooden pallets? Look no further. Here’s your complete guide.

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Every year in America there are 1.9 billion pallets circulated by transporting goods all throughout the county.

There are 700 million pallets that are repaired and manufactured in the United States, according to a Virginia Tech study. Less than 3% of these wood pallets end up in landfills.

The reason why it’s less than 3% is due to people repairing and reselling these pallets for cold, hard cash. It is a great way to make money as a side hustle. Here’s how.

Items You Need to Get Started

Before you can get started to sell used pallets, you will need to get yourself a pickup truck or have a trailer ready.

To make any serious money, you will need to have either of these items first to haul around the pallets.

Of course, you will also need the following items:

  • Gloves
  • Nails
  • Drill
  • Gas Money

I can guarantee from the start your biggest spender will be gas money, but that can easily be offset by picking up large quantities of pallets.

Where to Get Wooden Pallets Recycling for Cash

Getting these wooden pallets is not as hard as a lot of people think.

Many people do not realize that you can get wood pallets from just about any business. If you come at the right times, you can get these wooden pallets in large quantities.

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You will want to try the following types of stores.

  • Factories
  • Department Stores
  • Tire Shops
  • Warehouses

You will also want to try and contact any business that engages selling products in large quantities or manufacturing.

You will typically find pallets lying around in the back or near the dumpster. However, if you don’t want to be circling around the building, you will want to contact the manager.

They will either be able to save them for you or put them in a pile outside for you.

Keep in mind that you should ask the businesses before taking their pallets, if they are not near the dumpster. Most of the times, they will allow you to take them because they won’t typically have room to store them.

You may even find a place that will pay you to remove them. They are out there. They are not as common as the places that will allow you to remove them for free.

Pro-Tip: Find a few stores within a proximity from your home. Ask them to save them for you, so you can pick up a large quantity, so make the most out of your trip.

Read More: Stop Spinning Your Wheels: 3 Easy Ways to Recycle Old Tires for Cash

Repairing for Resell

I hate to break it to you, there will always be some broken wooden pallets. Not all of them will be broken, but you’ll find the occasional one.

That doesn’t mean it’s useless, or that you will have to dispose of it.

This is where you will need to bring out your tools. What’s cool about pallets is that they are easily fixable. You can fix a broken pallet within a few minutes with a few tools and you are good to go.

Where to Sell These Pallets?

Now, that you got a good system going. You know where to look and how to fix; the next logical step is to sell them.

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This is the hard part. Trying to locate who buys pallets near me. Luckily for you, we have some options.

The North American Pallet Recycling Network

The easiest way to sell wooden pallets will be contacting a pallet broker. You will want to look to see if you have a pallet broker in your area. It doesn’t matter where you may be, there is a good chance one is close to you.

To find a pallet broker in your area, you will want to use The North American Pallet Recycling Network.

National Wooden Pallet & Container Association

The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association is a great resource when trying to locate woodworking shops, packaging companies, and other businesses who need pallets.

All you will need to do is enter your zip code onto the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association website, to find local businesses in your area that are paying for pallets.

Kamps Pallets

For those of you that reside in the Midwest, you will be happy to know that Kamps Pallets is one of the largest pallet brokers out there.

The only downfall is that you will need a LARGE quantity of pallets before you can do business with them.

Recycle.net’s Pallet Exchange Listings

Recycle.net is another great resource.

They have a section that is dedicated to businesses or people who are looking to sell or purchase wooden pallets. It’s on the same premise as Craigslist.

Local Woodworking & Furniture Schools

Another idea is to find and contact your local furniture and woodworking schools. They sometimes will purchase wooden pallets from you.

Local Manufacturers

Also, check into your local manufacturers. They typically require wooden pallets. You will want to contact them by phone or go down to the facility and tell them that you are offering pallets for a price.

Craigslist

Of course, good old Craigslist is going to make it on the list. You’ll want to put up some ads that you are selling some pallets. It takes a second, it’s free, and you may get some buyers that way too.

How Much Do You Get for Recycling Wooden Pallets?

The resale value of wooden pallets depends on a few factors. If the pallet is like new, you may get more money than if the pallet has seen better days.

Typically, you are expected to see anywhere from $0.50 up to $4 per pallet.

Keep in mind, that you may find that you will make money selling to one company rather than the other company too. Some companies may pay lower, but are willing to purchase x amount every week, so it may end up making good money.

You can also try and haggle pricing as well to try and get the pricing up, if you are not happy with it.

Final Thoughts

If you have all the right equipment, selling wooden pallets can be a profitable business. Not only are you your own boss, but you can also set the price that you want to sell it too.

Keep in mind, to make any real money, you should get pallets in large quantities. Having a truck and even a trailer will be very beneficial for this side gig.

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