DIY Simple Pallet Project

A pallet is a structure which provides stable base for transportation of goods. While wood pallets are commonly used in the transportation business, those made from plastic, paper, and metals are available in the market as well. Most people are unsure about what to do with these pallets after their use. Many people just store these pallets in warehouses without further processing them. Pallet recycling is the process which makes best use of old or used pallets. Instead of throwing these pallets in garbage and increasing landfill areas, one should give them to the recycling companies.

Wood Pallet Recycling

Old pallets can be used to make new ones. It requires a bit of effort to repair broken pallets. Work of dismantling and reconstructing these pallets is carried out in recycling units. This easy-to-implement process can save lots of trees. Apart from newly recycled pallets, other items that can be created out of this process include furniture and mulch required for gardening. A bag of mulch costs higher than the one made out pallet recycling. Such kind of wood can also be used for fireplace logs. Some people try out new and creative ideas apart from those mentioned above. Pallets are used as fences and few people also make bird feeders out of them.

Recycling Business

Arranging for transportation of old pallets, in order to bring these to the recycling plant is important from the point of making this business run smoothly; damaged pallets are collected through this transportation facility. The route for this transportation has to be planned/chalked out in a manner that maximum number of clients are covered in a single trip. A truck should always be kept available for this task.

The raw material for this business (used pallets) is broken down into planks. In case of plastic recycling, conversion of pallets in liquid plastic takes place at the recycling plants. Owners of this business oversee these tasks and also their efficiency. It is necessary to check whether recycled pallets meet the standard design specifications. On an average, the pallet recycling prices for a single piece (wooden) range from $5 to $6. To avail any kind of financial assistance for the pallet recycling business, the company/firm has to be at least 2 years old. Banks, financial firms, and leasing companies provide financial assistance to such recycling units.

The equipment used in pallet management mainly include the dismantling machines, forklifts, and computer numeric control (CNC) machines. The CNC machines have to be calibrated so that variations between programmed dimensions meant for pallets are minimized. Loading and unloading of pallets is carried out by means of forklifts. The dismantling machines used are of two types. The first one is pressure-type dismantler, while the other is band saw style machine. Using the pressure-type dismantler, pallet board is sheared or popped off the stringer. Other machines, i.e., the one with a band saw style also has a unstubbler. A saw blade is used to sever the nails. It is better to choose the band saw style machine, since one doesn't have to purchase an unstubbler separately.