Choosing Safe, Non-Toxic Wood Pallets For DIY Projects

Choosing Safe, Non-Toxic Wood Pallets For DIY Projects

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On the floor, the ever-present pallet appears superb for reuse initiatives: It’s wooden, it’s free, and by reusing it, you retain it out of the waste stream. How are you able to go flawed? We’ve featured a beginner’s guide for upcycling pallets into engaging house décor, however the selection of supplies is a crucial first step.

Pallet wooden can typically be contaminated with poisonous chemical compounds, dangerous micro organism, and different icky unhealthy stuff you definitely don’t need in your house or round your loved ones.

pallet
Photo: Walt Stoneburner

“You have to think about the place [the pallet] got here from, what’s been shipped on it, and what you’re going to make use of it for,” explains Candice Miller, a horticulture educator and knowledgeable from the University of Illinois Extension program.

“I feel lots of people see these cool concepts on the web and on Pinterest, and so they go for it. They actually don’t take into consideration what it’s been handled with, the place it’s been, or if it’s actually secure to make use of.”

We know, it’s a little bit of a downer to recommend that each one pallet reuse is a foul concept. So, earlier than reusing a pallet at house, learn on for some questions to think about to guard your well being.

How Was It Treated?

To forestall the unfold of invasive pests and pathogens, the USDA requires producers to deal with pallets and different wooden packaging earlier than it may possibly enter or transit the United States.

Pallets are both heat-treated (heated to a excessive temperature in kilns to seal the wooden) or handled with methyl bromide — a poisonous pesticide that has been linked to human well being issues and ozone layer depletion.

mark
When sourcing used pallets, search for wooden bearing the IPPC seal and an “HT” stamp, designating it was heat-treated relatively than sealed with poisonous pesticides. Photo: Flickr/Ole Husby

The use of methyl bromide has been considerably restricted lately on account of these well being considerations, however Miller factors out that it’s troublesome to inform how previous a pallet is or how lengthy it has been in use.

Look for the IPPC stamp on the aspect of the wooden to find out how it was treated. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations updated the IPPC stamp program in 2023 to offer extra details about wooden packaging supplies. Pallets marked with an “HT” have been heat-treated and didn’t come into contact with chemical compounds in the course of the treating course of. Avoid unmarked pallets or these stamped with an “MB” for methyl bromide.

wood pallet treatment codes
Look for the therapy codes subsequent to the IPPC image. Image: 1001pallets.com

How Was It Used?

“The different concern is what’s really been on that pallet,” Miller explains. “Was there meals shipped on it the place you could possibly get micro organism and varied issues soaking into the wooden? Were there chemical compounds shipped on it?”

Following the 2010 recall of E. coli-tainted romaine lettuce, the National Consumers League carried out exploratory tests on pallets to see in the event that they could possibly be potential carriers of dangerous micro organism.

Ten p.c of the pallets examined had E. coli current, whereas 2.9 p.c examined optimistic for Listeria — a extremely aggressive foodborne pathogen.

Pallets can be uncovered to less-than-sanitary circumstances on loading docks, transport barges, or vehicles, and so they may additionally be used to ship chemical compounds or different poisonous supplies. So, it’s not arduous to see why utilizing warning when sourcing pallets turns into important.

potatoes
Pallets which can be used to ship meals could include dangerous foodborne micro organism, so proceed with warning. Photo: Flickr/Official U.S. Navy Imagery

Can’t You Just Clean It?

You could have learn an article or two on-line that advises cleansing used pallets with scorching soapy water, vinegar, or a bleach answer to conquer micro organism and different contaminants, however Miller warns that these strategies aren’t at all times efficient.

“Wood may be very porous, and also you’re actually by no means positive in case you’ve gotten every part out of there,” she tells Earth911. “The similar factor with sealing or portray it. I don’t assume the effectiveness of that has been completely confirmed but, both.”

To keep away from coming involved with contaminated wooden, make sure you possibly can verify the origin and use of a pallet earlier than repurposing it at house. Pallets used regionally for innocuous supplies resembling textiles or paper merchandise are your finest guess, however you continue to wish to make certain these are from a trusted supply.

How Will You Use It?

Outdoor makes use of, resembling bike racks and signage, are usually secure purposes for pallet wooden. But you wish to be extra cautious in case you’ll be coming in shut contact with used pallets, Miller advises.

bike rack
Outdoor purposes like this pallet bike rack are usually secure, however watch out when utilizing pallets indoors or round meals. Photo: Flickr/epanto

“If it’s one thing that you just’re going to sit down on otherwise you’re going to be coming into contact with or clearly rising meals on, that’s one thing that I’d be essentially the most involved about, ” she tells Earth911.

To be secure, don’t use upcycled pallets indoors except they got here from a trusted supply, and keep away from rising meals on or close to used pallet wooden. For the well being of you, your loved ones, and the planet, by no means burn pallet wooden or handled lumber in your hearth.

Pallet Sourcing Tips

“Your finest guess, though it’s clearly not as nice for recycling causes, is to get a brand new pallet,” Miller advises.

Other than shopping for new, you can even attempt to develop relationships with companies in your space to supply previous pallets that weren’t used to ship meals, chemical compounds, or different supplies that will contaminate the wooden.

“It all varies regionally,” Miller says. “You’re in all probability simply going to should ask round, and ask varied companies what they do with their pallets and discover out info that method.”

Wooden pallets discarded by side of road
Upcycled pallets ought to at all times come from a trusted supply. Dumpster diving for pallets is absolutely not advisable. Photo: William Murphy, Flickr

In some circumstances, you might also be capable to supply off-cuts from pallet producers in your space. These wooden items could also be barely warped, minimize to the flawed measurement, or in any other case inappropriate to be used in a brand new pallet — that means they could go to waste with no new house.

Call round to pallet producers or distributors close to you and ask how they get rid of their off-cuts. They could also be prepared to present them away or promote them at a low price.

Recycled constructing supplies retailers, resembling your native Habitat for Humanity ReStore, are additionally nice sources for low-cost reclaimed wooden. Since utilizing these sources tremendously reduces well being considerations, they could be your finest guess in case you’re involved about pallet security.

“I feel it’s simply consciousness,” Miller says. “It’s making individuals conscious that you just actually do want to consider that wooden earlier than you employ it. Even although it’s an excellent concept to reuse issues, you undoubtedly wish to give it some thought.”

Need pallet wooden upcycling concepts?

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Editor’s Note: Feature picture courtesy of This.Usually.Works, Flickr. Originally printed on July 30, 2013, this text was up to date in January 2025.