Pallet FAQ

We stock every common size — starting with the 48×40 GMA standard — plus Euro, half-pallet and other footprints, in grades A, B and C. New and custom-built pallets are available when you need a precise spec. See the size chart and grades pages for the full breakdown.

Recycled for most jobs — they're structurally equivalent, cost a fraction of new, and are far greener. Choose new or custom when you need a non-standard size, a specific wood or fastener spec, a pristine look, or perfect uniformity across a big run.

Yes. Per-pallet price generally drops with quantity, and mixed loads, will-call pickup and recurring orders improve it further. Send your size, grade and count through a quote for a specific number.

We handle everything from a handful for a weekend project to thousands on a recurring contract. Small orders are welcome — will-call at the yard is the easiest route for a few pallets.

We do. Alongside pallets we carry accessories like top caps, pallet collars and related supplies, plus a rotating selection of upcycled wood goods made from reclaimed pallet lumber.

Yes — we buy sound cores by the count, with 48×40 GMA in the strongest demand, plus mixed loads. Tell us roughly how many and what condition and we'll quote it. It's the fastest way to turn dock clutter into a payment.

Wooden pallets of virtually any size and condition, from lightly worn to badly broken. The only things we can't take are pallets contaminated with chemicals, paint, oil or hazardous residue.

Nothing goes to landfill. Usable boards and stringers are salvaged for repairs and combo pallets; whatever's left is ground into landscape mulch, animal bedding or biomass fuel. Read the full lifecycle on our how-recycling-works guide.

Recycling almost always wins, and often flips from a cost to a payment. Instead of dumpster rental plus per-ton C&D tipping fees, sound cores can be sold to us and mixed loads picked up at little or no cost. See pallets vs. landfill for the math.

No. Our closed loop — reuse, repair, remanufacture, then grind — means nothing we handle reaches a Southern Arizona landfill. That's the whole point of the business.

GMA refers to the Grocery Manufacturers Association standard 48×40-inch pallet — the most common pallet in North America. It fits standard racking, truck floors and automated handling, which is why it's the default recommendation when you're unsure.

Grade is condition. A (#1) is strong and clean for shipping and display; B (#2) is sound but repaired and worn, ideal for internal use; C is bottom-tier or for parts. Our grades page shows exactly how we inspect and assign each level.

It means the pallet's wood was heated to a core temperature that kills pests, satisfying the international ISPM-15 standard. It is a pest-control treatment, not a chemical one — a plain HT pallet is safe to handle and upcycle. Our reading-a-pallet-stamp guide decodes every symbol.

Only for international shipping, where ISPM-15 requires it. For domestic US use, heat treatment isn't legally required — though HT pallets are common and perfectly fine. See our heat-treatment page for the rule.

Both. You can will-call at the yard, and we deliver across Tucson and Southern Arizona. For outbound pallets we run scheduled removal routes so empties never pile up on your dock.

We set up on-call or recurring pickups tuned to how fast you accumulate empties. Our crew consolidates loads to keep truck miles and emissions low. Details are on the removal & retrieval service page.

Tucson and the surrounding Southern Arizona region, including the Phoenix corridor and the Nogales border area. If you're near the edge of that range, ask — we'll tell you honestly whether we can reach you.

Typically within one business day. Send your details through the quote form or email us and we'll reply with pricing or next steps.

Almost always. A standard untreated or heat-treated wooden pallet is one of the most recyclable items on a dock — reused whole, repaired, remanufactured, or ground to mulch and biomass. The only exception is chemically contaminated wood.

We estimate roughly 11 kg CO₂e avoided per reused pallet — the emissions of milling a new one from fresh lumber — plus the carbon that stays stored in the ~40 lb of wood. Try your own count in the Second-Life Ledger.

A well-built pallet can cycle five to ten times or more, and repair resets the clock each time by replacing a broken board or stringer. Reuse compounds fast across a month of volume.

Yes, as directional estimates — cite them as such. When you place an order we can provide figures based on the actual sizes, grades and repair involved. The Second-Life Ledger is a good starting point.

We run email-first: reach us at info@ecopalletstucson.com or through the quote and contact forms on this site, and we typically reply within one business day. We don't publish a phone line — email keeps every detail, count and address in writing so nothing gets lost between the dock and the yard.

Our yard is at 7225 S Kolb Rd, Tucson, AZ 85756. You're welcome to will-call for stock or drop-off.

Monday–Friday 7:00 AM–5:00 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, and closed Sunday.

We're Tucson's circular pallet yard: we buy, sell, recycle and haul used and new wooden pallets, plus accessories and upcycled wood goods. Every service feeds the next so timber stays in circulation and out of the landfill.

Tell us what you need — buying, selling, recycling or a pickup — through the quote form, or email info@ecopalletstucson.com. Include your pallet count, size/grade if known, and your location, and we'll take it from there.

It depends on size, grade, quantity and treatment — there's no single sticker price. A standard 48×40 GMA in B-grade is the value baseline; A-grade, non-standard sizes and heat-treated stock cost more, and per-pallet price drops as quantity rises. Send your size, grade and count through a quote and we'll price it specifically rather than guess.

Often little or nothing, and sometimes it's a payment to you. Sound cores can be sold to us by the count; mixed and broken loads are typically picked up at low or no cost because the wood has recycling value. Compare that against dumpster rental plus per-ton C&D tipping fees — the swing usually favors reuse.

Yes. Sound 48×40 GMA cores are in steady demand and we buy them by the count, so a pile you were paying to dump can become a small, recurring payment. The exact number depends on volume and condition — tell us roughly what you have and we'll quote it.

Will-call pickup at the yard is the lowest-cost route; delivery across Tucson and Southern Arizona is available and priced with your order. Tell us your location and quantity and we'll lay out pickup vs. delivery so you can choose.

Yes — when your load crosses an international border you need heat-treated (HT), IPPC-stamped pallets, and we can supply known HT stock. Tell us it's for export in your quote so we route you the right, stamped units rather than plain domestic wood.

It certifies the wood meets ISPM-15, the international standard for pest-free solid-wood packaging. The stamp carries a wheat logo, a country code, a producer number and a treatment code — usually HT for heat treatment. Our reading-a-pallet-stamp guide decodes every symbol.

No. Heat treatment (HT) means the wood was baked to a core temperature that kills pests — no chemicals involved. The stamp to avoid for indoor or food-adjacent use is MB (methyl bromide), an older chemical fumigant now largely phased out. HT is safe to handle, ship and upcycle.

No. ISPM-15 applies to international trade only, so domestic US shipping doesn't legally require HT pallets — though HT stock is common and perfectly fine to use. You only need certified HT when the wood crosses a border.

Alongside pallets we stock accessories that extend and protect a pallet load — items like top caps and pallet collars plus related supplies. Tell us what you're building or protecting and we'll point you to the right add-on.

A pallet collar is a collapsible wooden frame that sits on a pallet to turn it into a stackable, box-like container — handy for loose goods, returnable packaging and space-saving storage since collars fold flat when empty. Ask us about availability with your pallet order.

Yes. Recycled pallets cover the majority of jobs at a fraction of new-pallet cost, but when you need a precise non-standard size, a specific wood or fastener spec, or perfect uniformity across a large run, we build new and custom pallets to order.

A rotating selection of pieces built from reclaimed pallet lumber — think shelving, signage, tasting-room and retail accents and similar décor. We also build custom upcycled pieces from a business's own retired boards, as we did for a Tucson distillery. See our upcycled goods page or ask.

Stick to heat-treated (HT / KD-HT) or clean unstamped domestic wood, and skip anything marked MB or showing spills, oil, mold or odor. The rule of thumb is simple: HT plus clean equals go; MB or contaminated equals no. Our reading-a-pallet-stamp guide covers the details.

Yes — C-grade and salvage stock make great, inexpensive project wood, and we can point you to clean, safe-to-use pieces. Tell us what you're building and roughly how much wood you need and we'll set some aside.

That's one of our favorite jobs. We can set aside the nicest boards from your retired pallets and turn them into shelving, signage or accents — waste wood becomes a design element that reinforces your brand. It's exactly the loop we built for the distillery case study.