Pallet disposal — where to get rid of pallets and scrap wood
Pallets are easy to get and surprisingly awkward to get rid of: some drop-offs refuse them as construction debris, and others take a handful free or for a few dollars each. EPA counts wood packaging such as pallets among the wood in household trash, and estimated that 17.1 percent of wood pallets were recycled in 2018, mostly by chipping them into mulch or bedding.
Short answer
- If they're usable, try giving them away first.
- Drop-offs vary: some take a limited number free, some charge per pallet, some refuse them.
- Clean, untreated wood is easier to place than painted or treated wood.
- Big loads of scrap lumber go to a construction and demolition landfill.
Where pallets and scrap wood go
- Cary, North Carolina: wood pallets, limit 10.
- Falmouth, Maine: wood pallets free.
- Essex, Vermont: natural wood and clean pallets accepted.
- Chesterfield County, Virginia: pallets $9 each, with no extra fee in a household trash load.
- Cincinnati and Williston, North Dakota take pallets and scrap lumber with wood waste.
- Albuquerque's convenience centers send loads of more than 5 pallets to the landfill.
- Refused: Athens, Georgia's drop-off won't take construction and demolition debris, pallets and lumber included.
Painted, stained or pressure-treated wood can be restricted — Falmouth, for one, won't take pressure-treated wood — so keep it separate. Our guide to construction debris covers lumber and remodeling waste.
Find a site that takes wood
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest landfills and drop-offs, then check each site's page for pallets and wood.
Common questions
Where can I get rid of pallets near me?
Try giving them away first. Otherwise, many transfer stations and landfills take them, sometimes free in small numbers and sometimes for a few dollars each. Some drop-offs refuse them as construction debris, so check the site's page.
Does it cost money to drop off pallets?
Sometimes. Falmouth, Maine, takes wood pallets free and Cary, North Carolina, takes up to 10, while Chesterfield County, Virginia, charges $9 each outside a household trash load.
Are wood pallets recyclable?
Yes. EPA estimated a 17.1 percent recycling rate for wood pallets in 2018, mostly by chipping them into mulch or bedding material.
What about treated or painted wood?
Keep it separate. Some sites, such as Falmouth, Maine, won't take pressure-treated wood.