How to decide between repairing or replacing pallets

You’ve got a stack of pallets that are looking a little worse for wear. A few splinters here. A broken slat there. Maybe the odd rogue nail. 

Pallets are pretty sturdy beasts, but how do you know when they’ve reached the end of their usefulness? Should you continue repairing? Or is it finally time to replace?

When to replace

You can go on repairing pallets for quite a long time until they’re no longer useful. However, the time has come to replace them when:

• More than a few boards need to be replaced
• The pallet is somehow structurally compromised. That could be large cracks in boards, or that the pallet has warped.
• Mould and moisture has taken root in the pallet. The moisture content should always be below 19%. 
• You notice signs of pest infestations, such as small exit holes in the wood, or sawdust trails near holes.

We can recycle your old pallets for you, and provide you with new ones. Give us a call and we can work out a sensible arrangement for you. 

When to repair

The type of wear and tear that you can repair fairly easily in your pallets includes:

• Replacing damaged boards
• Refitting loose boards
• Repairing small cracks in a slat 
• Replacing loose nails
• Realigning slats that have become misaligned

Things to bear in mind when repairing or replacing pallets

We can give you some guidance about when to repair or replace your pallets, but there’s no hard and fast rule for everyone.

If your pallets carry particularly heavy loads, then you should think about replacing them a little sooner than those that carry lighter loads. 

Similarly, it may depend on the types of goods your pallets carry. If you transport sensitive materials like pharmaceuticals and food, think about replacing the pallets earlier. 

You should also be aware that your pallets will need to be recertified if you replace a slat or a board. If you ship your loads overseas, then you need to comply with ISPM-15 requirements and heat treatment must be reapplied to the pallet.  

Finally, cost is always a factor. Repairing pallets is a cheaper option than replacing. However, you can often sell pallets that need replacing, as they can be used as mulch or recycled in other ways. 

If you have any questions on how to repair or replace your pallets, please do get in touch.

Pallet collection for construction sites: Keeping job areas clean and compliant

On any construction site, health and safety is paramount. You want to look after your workers first and foremost, and it’s one of your legal obligations to make sure that the site is safe. 

But let’s not forget that it also makes good business sense. Safe and tidy sites are more productive and more efficient. 

Sometimes keeping the area clean and tidy is easier said than done, isn’t it? Especially on a busy construction site.

You’ve got policies and protocols, and people to enforce them. But if you have a site that’s full of large and awkward items, it can be difficult to maintain clear access routes, and comply strictly with designated waste areas.

Wooden pallets can often end up being one of those ‘problem’ items if they’re not managed effectively. They can take up space, and act as a lingering health and safety hazard on your construction site. 

You might think that the best way to deal with the disposal of your pallets is to simply hire a skip and keep slinging the pallets in there. In one sense, that will work. But is it the best option? 

There are a couple of problems with this approach:

1) Cost

The cost of skip hire will quickly rack up and eat into the profitability of your job.

2) Environmental credentials

Throwing pallets into landfill is the most wasteful way to deal with them. You can boost your credentials as a responsible business by finding ways to avoid sending these recyclable items to landfill. 

So, what’s a better solution?

Simply get your pallets collected, by a dedicated pallet specialist like us. 

We can do a one-off, smash and grab, and take all of your pallets away in one fell swoop. We do this sort of clearance when you have more than 100 pallets. 

Or, if you have pallets regularly moving through your construction site, we can organise a regular collection so that they never become overwhelming. 

The benefits of this partnership-style arrangement over sending your pallets to landfill are:

• It’s cheaper: We’re cheaper than skip hire companies

• You act as a responsible business: even broken pallets can be reused and recycled so your waste that goes to landfill is significantly reduced

• Your site remains tidy and compliant: pallets won’t stack up and become a health and safety risk. We’ll clear them before it comes to that.

• Peace of mind: you know exactly when we’re coming to collect them, so the pile of pallets out the back won’t weigh on your mind anymore.

• It’s convenient: less work for you! Just stack your pallets in your waste area, and we’ll do the rest.

What’s the process?

If this sounds like a viable option for you, we’d love to help.

If you’re after a one-off pallet clearance, please email us at collections@robinsonspalletservices.com with an image of the pallets.

If you need regular pallet clearances, the first step is a site visit. Give us a call or an email and we can pop along to your site to assess your situation. Our Wembley number is 020 8991 0992 and the Witham number is 01376 516 742.

Then we can give you a quote for a one-off removal service, or a regular clearance programme.