What can I do with blue pallets? (2024)

FAQs

What do I do with blue pallets? ›

Blue pallets are legally owned the CHEP company and should be returned directly to them either through the company they were obtained from or to CHEP directly. For a free collection, telephone or e-mail them on 0800 515 320 or collect@chep.com or visit their website for further details at www.chep.com.

We own every blue CHEP pallet you see. No exceptions. So, it's illegal to buy, sell, exchange, trade or discard CHEP pallets. If you find one, you can't sell it, but you can help us collect it.

CHEP pallets vary in cost, depending on the price of lumber – but it fluctuates between US$25- US$35 a pallet.

- CHEP pallets remain the property of CHEP, and must be made available for return to them. They cannot be bought, they can only be rented. Recyclers don't like them and it is an offence to burn them.

What pallet types are accepted? According to Amazon's FBA pallet delivery rules, all pallets need to be the standard 4-way access type. Make sure they're wooden as Amazon won't accept plastic pallets.

Some wood pallets are treated with chemicals when manufactured, which can be toxic if burnt. Check for marks or stamps on the long sides of the pallet. Markings to look out for include MB, which means the pallet wood has been treated with Methyl Bromide.

The dye used to colour the pallets is toxic which means they cannot be recycled. Also, because they are company owned and rented out, they are commercial waste. Blue pallets, known as CHEP or GKN CHEP pallets, are owned by CHEP.

Pallet sizes will always play a major role in determining the sellback value of your used pallet supply, and the general rule here is that standard sizes like 48×40 and 48×45 will have higher sellback values as compared to custom sized pallets that are less useful for other businesses.

Blue pallets are not exchanged. CHEP will pick them up for free and put them back into circulation in the supply chain. You are only one click away from a free blue pallet collection, just click here.

Increasing demand, decreasing supply

The easiest explanation: the demand for wood has increased, but the supply has decreased. The demand for wooden pallets is increasing. In 2021, 101.3 million EPAL wooden europallets were newly produced, with a total number of repaired and produced pallets of 123.5 million.

Does Walmart use CHEP pallets? ›

CHEP pallets are the industry standard for retail, that's why we supply Costco pallets, Walmart pallets, and other retail leaders who need durability, versatility and consistency at the store level.

Our pallets are designed, tested and continuously improved at our CHEP Innovation Centre to ensure everything is produced to a high quality. When a CHEP pallet arrives at one of our 240 service centers, it undergoes a rigorous process of inspection and, if necessary, repair, before being reused.

48×40 pallets painted blue and marked “Property of Chep” are rental pallets and only available through Chep. Although there are a number of unresolved legal challenges in the industry, it is clearly illegal and unethical for a pallet recycler to sell those directly to a customer.

Unfortunately, as Blue pallets are owned by the CHEP company, we're unable to help you destroy or remove Blue Pallets.

1001Pallets.com lists the four main pallet pool companies in the world that you can differentiate by the color: Red pallets: PECO (The Pallet Exchange Company from the USA) Red pallets: LPR (La Palette Rouge from Europe) Blue pallets: CHEP (Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool from Australia)

Why are some pallets blue? We do not recommend that you use these types of pallets, as they are often from the pool industry and can contain chemicals.

You can help minimize this by storing pallets inside or, if they must be stored outside, keep them covered and well ventilated. Blue – Rather than mold, this color could be a result of bluestain, a type of fungi found in wood products that does not cause decay.