Core pallets: raw material for repair

01 A core is a role, not a quality

The word describes what happens next, not how the pallet looks. A perfectly good 48 x 40 can be a core if its owner is selling it on. A broken one is a core too, but its next step is parts. That is why core stacks range from valuable to nearly worthless.

02 Where they end up

• Repaired to grade B or A and resold.
• Remanufactured into combo.
• Dismantled for boards and blocks.
• Chipped for mulch, composite products or biomass if irreparable.

03 Selling cores

See selling pallet cores for what makes a stack worth more.

04 A core, step by step

1. The pallet leaves a dock with its freight.
2. It is collected with others.
3. It is inspected and graded.
4. It is repaired, remanufactured, dismantled or ground.

05 Before listing cores

• Count and size them.
• Photograph the worst and the best.
• Say whether they are outdoors, stacked or loose.
• Say whether a trailer can back to them.

06 Selling versus giving away

A sound core can be sold. A badly broken core may have no cash value, though a recycler might still take it away at no charge because the lumber has some use. A seller should know which of the two they have before the conversation starts.

07 What a buyer looks at first

A buyer looking at cores checks the stringers first, since a cracked stringer makes a pallet a poor candidate for repair, then the number of missing boards, and then the sizes.

08 Time and storage

Cores left outside age quickly. Moisture and sun darken the wood, nails rust and boards cup. A pile sold sooner is usually worth more than the same pile sold after a wet season.

09 Handling advice for cores

• Separate cores by grade and size.
• Keep repairable cores covered.
• Track returns and their condition with tags or a warehouse management system.
• Contract with remanufacturers that grade consistently.
• Compare total cost, including handling, transport and repair, against new pallets.