The Unexpected Place You Can Get Free Wood Pallets

By-products are used in almost every industrial sector in the world, because whenever there's enough value in waste, someone puts it to good use. That's the case with pallet wood, which you'll see almost everywhere you go. The pallets stacked up behind warehouses and in alleyways are often spoken for, but if you're looking for free ones, it's worth asking your local furniture stores.

It's not just your imagination — pallets are harder than ever to find. In the 1990s, pallets started to be seen as something that could be salvaged, and they started being repaired for reuse. The number that stayed in circulation more than doubled by 2011, and today, businesses send the empty cores back to a pooled system or sell them to reconditioners for about $2 to $3 per unit. There's also competition from pallet wood scavengers, also known as pallet hounds, and other DIYers working on small wood pallet projects. These combined demands make them even harder to find.

In the U.S., there are about 2.6 billion pallets in circulation, with roughly half a billion new ones produced every year. Most retailers and warehouses are stacking pallets up to pass off to reconditioners, and they're not about to let them go for less than they'd get from them. But if you want pallets for free, there are local and small-chain businesses, including furniture stores, that sometimes receive freight on pallets, and they may be willing to give them up when you ask.

DIYers looking for free pallets for furniture projects and wood pallet storage ideas often struggle to find a reliable source. People try everything from posting online to calling businesses to locate free pallets. But whether your approach is driving through alleys or walking into furniture stores and asking, the key is getting permission before you take them. 

Another factor to consider when you're looking for places to find free pallets near you is that you don't know where they've been or what types of chemicals they've been treated with. One of the reasons to consider pallets from furniture stores is that furniture is a clean product, relative to other palletized materials like pool cleaning supplies or automotive fluids that can leak or off-gas. 

Keep in mind that not all pallets are created equal. There are different types and sizes of pallets, and some are easier to take apart than others. Sturdy block pallets have wood blocks at the corners to hold heavier loads, while stringer pallets built from lower-grade wood are easier to disassemble. Some pallets bear stamps that show they were heat treated to comply with import regulations. Painted pallets are off limits because they belong to rental pools, while those marked with MB were fumigated with methyl bromide and should never be used or burned. Whatever type of wood pallets you end up with, play it safe and never use them for making items like children's play equipment or cutting boards.