Despite the availability of recycling programs, an estimated 10-15% of used pallets in the US still end up in landfills each year. That's roughly 50-75 million pallets — and the environmental consequences are significant, measurable, and entirely preventable.
Wood decomposing in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period. The methane from landfilled pallets alone contributes millions of tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually. According to EPA data, wood waste (including pallets) accounts for approximately 8% of all landfill methane emissions.
Landfilled pallets also represent a massive waste of embodied resources. Each pallet contains lumber that required trees, water, energy, and labor to produce. The carbon sequestered in the wood during tree growth is released back into the atmosphere during decomposition. Throwing it away after a single use is the definition of waste — both economic and environmental.
The water impact is often overlooked. Landfills are designed to prevent rainwater from infiltrating waste, but leachate — water that has percolated through waste materials — inevitably forms. Wood waste contributes to leachate that can contain tannins, dissolved organic compounds, and heavy metals (from nails and treatments) that threaten groundwater quality.
Land use is another dimension of the problem. Landfill space in Southern California is increasingly scarce and expensive. Every pallet that goes to landfill consumes space that could be reserved for truly non-recyclable waste. Diverting pallets frees up capacity and extends the operational life of existing landfills.
The irony is that pallets are one of the most recyclable items in the waste stream. Over 95% of a wood pallet can be repurposed — as another pallet, as mulch, as biomass fuel, or as raw material for new products. The technology and infrastructure for pallet recycling are well-established and widely available.
The barrier isn't technology — it's awareness and access. Many businesses don't know that pallet recyclers exist, or assume that pickup and recycling will be expensive. In reality, most recyclers offer free pickup because the materials have inherent value. The used pallet sitting behind your warehouse isn't garbage — it's worth $1-6 to a recycler.
California's regulatory framework is addressing this gap. SB 1383 and newer amendments require businesses to divert organic waste (including wood) from landfills. Non-compliance can result in fines of $25 per ton per day. But rather than viewing this as a burden, forward-thinking businesses see it as an opportunity to save money while meeting regulatory requirements.
The collective impact of diverting pallets from landfills is transformative. If the US recycled an additional 25 million pallets annually — moving the recycling rate from 85% to 90% — the emissions reduction would equal removing 500,000 cars from the road. That's achievable with existing technology and infrastructure.
If your business is still sending pallets to the landfill, we'd love to show you a better way. Free pickup, potential payout for your pallets, and the satisfaction of knowing nothing goes to waste. It's the easiest environmental win you'll ever implement.