Products · ♻️
Recycled & Used Pallets
A recycled pallet is not a lesser pallet. Ours are structurally sound, load-rated, and cost 30–60% less than new — while keeping solid hardwood in circulation instead of a landfill.
We stock thousands of inspected, repaired used pallets — mostly 48×40 GMA in Grade A (#1) and Grade B (#2), plus a rotating inventory of off-sizes. Order by the bundle or the truckload; most Cincinnati deliveries go out within the same week.
Request a quote
Every field routes straight to our yard team. Tell us the product, the volume, and where you are — we reply by email within one business day.
Why it works
Built to keep working.
Inspected board-by-board
Every pallet is checked for cracked stringers, protruding nails, loose deck boards, and mold before it leaves the yard.
Repaired, not just resold
Damaged units are rebuilt on-site with reclaimed lumber — replaced boards, re-nailed joints, plugged stringers.
Consistent, sortable stock
We separate by size and grade so a bundle of #1s actually looks like a bundle of #1s.
Priced to move volume
The more you buy, the lower the per-unit cost. Standing-order customers get first pick of fresh cores.
Where it fits
Common use cases
If your application isn't listed, ask anyway — odds are we've done it.
- General warehousing and rack storage
- Domestic freight and LTL shipments
- One-way / expendable shipping loads
- Retail distribution and restocking
- Manufacturing WIP and staging
- Food & beverage secondary handling (non-contact loads)
- Brewery and distillery keg, case, and grain movement
- Seasonal overflow and temporary storage
- Automotive and metal-fabrication parts staging
What 'recycled' actually means here
A used pallet arrives at our yard as a 'core' — a pallet that has finished one job and needs sorting. Cores come from distributors, manufacturers, and our own removal routes across Cincinnati. From there, each one is triaged.
Cores that pass inspection are cleaned, banded, and stacked as Grade A. Cores with a repairable defect go to the repair bench. Cores too far gone are dismantled — the good boards feed our repair line and custom builds, and the rest is ground for mulch and biomass. Nothing is trucked to a landfill.
This is the model we've run since 2009: a pallet should be reused, then repaired, then rebuilt from its own salvaged parts, and only ground up once every board has given everything it has. Buying recycled is buying into that loop.
Grade A vs. Grade B — how to choose
Grade A (#1) pallets are the closest thing to new: all seven top deck boards, minimal repairs, clean stringers. They're the right call for automated lines, pool programs, and anything customer-facing.
Grade B (#2) pallets have been repaired at least once or show cosmetic wear. They carry the same nominal load rating for typical static and edge-rack use and cost less. For internal storage and one-way freight, they're the smart-money pick.
Below B, we also stock remanufactured or 'combo' pallets — units rebuilt from a mix of salvaged boards and stringers to a serviceable standard — and, at the very end, ground material. If you're not sure which grade a job actually needs, describe the load, the handling equipment, and whether it goes on a rack, and we'll tell you the cheapest grade that will do it safely.
Sizes, construction, and entry
The 48×40 GMA pallet is the North American standard and the workhorse of our yard, but a recycled pallet is defined by more than its footprint.
Most of our stock is stringer construction — three parallel stringers with deck boards nailed across — offering two-way or notched four-way forklift entry. We also see block pallets (nine-block base, true four-way entry) come through, which suit high-throughput and automated handling. Off-sizes rotate through constantly as cores land from local shippers.
- 48×40 GMA — the standard grocery/industrial footprint, always in stock
- Block vs. stringer construction — four-way vs. two-way / notched four-way entry
- Common off-sizes: 42×42, 48×48, 36×36, 45×48 and more, as cores arrive
- Euro / EPAL 1200×800mm on request when inventory allows
- Hardwood (oak and mixed) and SPF softwood decks and stringers
- Static, dynamic, and racking load capacities vary by grade — ask before racking
How ordering and delivery works
Email us the size, grade, and quantity — one bundle or a standing truckload order — and you'll get a same-day quote with transparent per-unit and delivered pricing. No phone tag: we reply by email within one business day, no phone spam.
Most Greater Cincinnati deliveries go out within one to five days on our own trucks, which also cover Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. High-volume docks set up a recurring standing order so pallets show up on a schedule that matches throughput and never run short.
Good questions
Recycled & Used Pallets FAQ
How much does a used pallet cost in Cincinnati?
Pricing moves with grade, size, and volume, but recycled 48×40 pallets typically run a fraction of new-pallet cost — often 30–60% less. Pricing is volume-based; email us a quantity and grade and we'll quote the same day.
Can you match a specific size?
Often, yes. 48×40 is always in stock; odd sizes rotate through the yard constantly. Tell us the footprint and we'll tell you what we have or when the next cores land.
Do you deliver?
Yes — our own trucks cover Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana. Truckload quantities can ship farther. There's no phone; email info@cincinnatipallet.com and we'll reply within one business day.
Are recycled pallets safe to put on racking?
Grade A units are generally fine for typical edge-rack storage, but racking load ratings depend on span, support type, and load. Tell us how you rack and what you're storing and we'll steer you to the right grade — don't assume any used pallet is rack-rated.
What's the difference between block and stringer pallets?
Stringer pallets use three solid stringers and typically allow two-way or notched four-way forklift entry. Block pallets sit on nine blocks for true four-way entry and suit automated and high-throughput handling. We stock mostly stringer, with block cores rotating through.
Can recycled pallets be used for export?
Only if they're heat-treated and carry a valid ISPM-15 (HT) stamp. Many used pallets do, but it must be verified per unit. If you're shipping internationally, ask us for confirmed ISPM-15 stock or see our new-pallets and custom-fabrication options.
How consistent is a bundle — will I get mixed sizes?
No. We sort by size and grade, so a bundle of #1 48×40s actually looks like one. If you need extra-tight uniformity for an automated line, tell us and we'll pull accordingly.
What happens to pallets too broken to sell?
They're dismantled. Sound boards and stringers feed our repair line and custom builds; the rest is ground into landscaping mulch and biomass fuel. Nothing we collect goes to a landfill.
Let's put your pallets back to work.
Buying, selling, recycling, or hauling — one form, one business-day reply, zero phone tag.