This is a wooden shipping pallet.
And this is what creative people are doing with them.
A quick search on Pinterest for the word “pallet” will pull up all kinds of awesome project you…yes, YOU can make from a shipping pallet. There are whole boards committed to pallet projects.
Now…if you are anything like me you love these projects, but you don’t own a Wal-Mart. So you probably don’t have a lot of shipping pallets hanging around. The dilemma then becomes,where to find these cast off gems.
Here’s the skinny on where to get your very own pallets. Let’s start basic. Pretty much every business that receives products, receives those products on pallets. Also, construction sites usually have them. Then they burn them at the end of the project. Which brings me to my list of tippy tips for scoring your very own free pallets.
1. Think small. A little research showed me that most big businesses are contracted with shipping companies to return their pallets and recycle them. Your best bet is to call local companies and ask them if they have pallets that they dispose of.
2. Good businesses to contact are hardware stores, garden shops, lumber yards, etc.
3. Small construction companies are good too. You can call their office and they may tell you sites that would have some you can pick up. If you are driving past a new development and you see a stack you can also stop {without obstructing their work} and ask for them. Chances are, they’ll be burning them at the end of the job.
4. If you see a stack near a business, don’t just assume you can take them. Even some small businesses recycle their pallets, so if you take them you might hurt their business or cause them to incur a fine.
5. Wear gloves when you go collecting. Pallets are not perfect and they are kind of splintery!
6. Be nice. Thank the business that give you free stuff. Maybe even shoot them an email with a photo of what you upcycled from their dumpster. I know you are awesome…so they’ll probably love you and you’ll make lots of new friends.
I called 5 businesses here in Minot. Four of the five had pallets that they dispose of free for the taking. I scoped them out and found that not all pallets are created equally. Since they are destined for the dumpster, some are pretty beat up. Some are more sturdy than others, some are longer, some are shorter. It’s all about being willing to go out and dig around until you find something worth using. A little elbow grease and a little calling around will pay off big time with free wood and free building blocks for lots of DIY projects.
