05 Guide
New or used plastic pallets
Buy new plastic pallets when they will be racked hard, touch food under a maker's paperwork, need one uniform model or carry RFID and logos; buy used when they will sit on the floor, ship one way or fill out a fleet on a budget. Send us the job and we will quote new models, our used grades, or both side by side.
The question behind the question
New against used is really a question about how much certainty the job needs. A new pallet comes with a known model, a known date and the maker's full ratings and paperwork. A used pallet comes with a known model if you can read it, an unknown history, and a lower price.
Some jobs need that certainty and some do not. A pallet that will carry a 2,000-lb load across rack beams every day needs it. A pallet that will hold cartons on a warehouse floor for a week, or leave on an export container and never return, often does not.
| Job | Usually | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Selective rack with heavy loads | New, or Grade A of a rack-rated model | Racked rating with no unknown creep history |
| Food contact under a maker's statement | New | Paperwork ties to a model and a production run |
| Automated conveyors or AS/RS | New, one model | Every pallet identical |
| RFID tracking, color coding, logos | New | Options are set at molding |
| Floor storage and internal moves | Used, Grade A or B | Ratings on the floor are less demanding |
| One-way outbound or export | Used, or a light new nestable | The pallet does not come back |
| Storage, staging, overflow | Mixed lots | Sorted by footprint only, sold by the load |
When new is worth it
Racking is the strongest case. Plastic creeps under sustained load, and a used pallet has an unknown history of it. A new rack-rated model starts at the full racked figure on the maker's sheet, which is the number your rack safety depends on.
Food contact is the second. 21 CFR 177.1520 covers the olefin resins, but a finished pallet's food-contact status rests on the maker's documentation for the model. That paper trail is clean on a new pallet and usually missing on a used one.
Uniformity is the third. A conveyor line, stretch wrapper or automated storage system wants one model, one height and one weight. Used lots can supply that when they come from a single fleet, but a new order guarantees it.
Options are the fourth. RFID compatibility, custom colors and hot-stamped logos are fitted at the mold or soon after. The Rehrig Pacific heavy-duty nestable 40x48, for example, lists RFID, colors and hot-stamped logos as options on a new pallet.
When used is the better buy
Floor storage and internal moves are where used pallets earn their keep. Static loads on a level floor are the easiest condition a pallet faces, and a sound used pallet handles them as well as a new one of the same model.
One-way shipments are the other. If the pallet leaves with the goods and never returns, every dollar above what the trip needs is lost. A used pallet that carries the load safely to the destination is the cheaper way to send it.
Used also fills gaps. A plant that needs a few hundred extra pallets for a seasonal peak, or to top up a fleet of the same model, can often find them used faster and for less than a new order.
How our used grades map to jobs
Used grading is not standardized; sellers put grades on listings without defining them. Ours are defined, and each one points to a set of jobs.
| Grade | Condition | Good for | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade A | Whole deck, runners or legs intact, no repairs, clean enough for its next use | Racking if the model was rack-rated, conveyors, closed loops | Food contact needing a maker's statement |
| Grade B | Structurally sound, scuffs, old labels, faded color, minor surface wear | Floor storage, internal moves, one-way freight | Racking unless checked |
| Mixed lots | Assorted makers, models and colors, sorted only by footprint | Storage, staging, overflow, one-way loads | Automation, racking, uniform fleets |
Price per trip, not price per pallet
A new pallet costs more than a used one of the same model, but the fair comparison is cost per trip. A new pallet in a closed loop may make many more trips before it is retired than a used one that has already spent years in service.
Turn the question around for one-way loads. A pallet that makes one trip has a cost per trip equal to its price, so the cheapest pallet that does the job safely wins, and that is usually used.
End of life counts on both sides. New or used, a worn HDPE or PP pallet keeps value as regrind, so a retired fleet can be sold back instead of paying to throw it out.
Mixing new and used in one fleet
Many plants run both. A core fleet of new, identical rack-rated pallets serves production, conveyors and the high bays, while used Grade B pallets or mixed lots absorb seasonal peaks such as the holiday rush, a produce harvest or a promotion that doubles outbound volume for a month.
Keep the two apart. Different colors, painted feet or a tag on each used unit stop a worn pallet from drifting into a rack position meant for new ones. Rotate stock first in, first out, and set up a short inspection station where returning pallets are checked and either sent back to work, downgraded to floor duty or pulled for resale.
Track your damage rate. Knowing how many pallets you retire per month sets the replacement budget and tells you whether buying spares used or new makes more sense next quarter.
Checking used pallets before they arrive
Ask the seller for the maker and model numbers molded on the underside, the date clock range, and photos of the worst pallets in the lot rather than the best. Those three answers tell you more than a grade name.
For a quote on either, send the footprint, type, deck, heaviest load and whether it is racked, the quantity and the delivery ZIP. We reply by email with the new models and used grades that meet it, each with a delivered price, so you can compare them line by line.
Questions buyers ask
Are used plastic pallets worth buying?
Yes, for floor storage, internal moves and one-way shipments, where a sound used pallet does the job of a new one for less. For heavy racking or documented food contact, new is the safer buy.
Can used plastic pallets be racked?
Only Grade A pallets of a model that was rack-rated new. We do not offer Grade B or mixed lots for racking.
Do used pallets come with food-contact paperwork?
Usually not. A finished pallet's food-contact status depends on the maker's documentation, which rarely follows a used pallet.
Can I get new and used quoted together?
Yes. Send one request and we reply with new models and used grades that meet it, each with a delivered price.
Sources
- Cabka: plastic pallets for export and ISPM 15
- 21 CFR 177.1520: olefin polymers in food-contact articles
- Rehrig Pacific: 40 x 48 heavy duty nestable pallet sheet
Last reviewed November 8, 2026.