Construction and demolition is costly to our environment, with the majority of debris and
waste being lawfully destined for a landfill. Most materials are delivered on wooden
pallets, so they are at the core of the pollution pile. My teenage son recently enjoyed strategically demolishing wood pallets and reconstructing them into a wood pile rack, and my husband made a new compost bin, all from job site leftovers.

As it turns out, pallets have a huge fan base for recycling and reuse! At 1001 Pallets you can tap into the “World’s Largest Pallet Community” and get almost 4,000 ideas, share your own creative thoughts, take free tutorials, and engage in a community sharing DIY projects using wooden pallets.

Some of my favorite simple ideas are found at Fantastic View Point, and even I can make the simple shoe rack made from wooden pallets. I also like the garden planter and wine rack made from up-cycling wooden pallets! Check out these ideas and more at: http://www.fantasticviewpoint.com/16-the-most-creative-ways-to-recycle-wooden-pallet/

Pallets can also be sold for cash. Here in the Carolinas, and around the country, there are businesses like Starnes Pallet Service, where you can drop off pallets and get paid cash, depending on the market and current demand. At Starnes, they manufacture, recondition and recycle about 30,000 pallets per week!

Even old, damaged wooden pallets can be ground and recycled into wood fiber, a commodity that recycling companies can then sell. Please keep wooden pallets out of the landfill!