San Mateo County Facilities The recycling program for county employees Wood Pallets Wood pallets can be broken down into two general categories: 40" x 48" "4-ways" that are a highly desirable commodity, and all other sizes, which can be quite difficult to use or get rid of. Regardless of the type of pallets your facility is generating, they all must be separated out from regular trash. There are a couple of ways of dealing with pallets listed below, starting with the best use.

The first, and most important step for dealing with pallets is to reuse them. If you have vendors that bring shipments on pallets, require that they take back at least as many pallets as they are dropping off. This helps keep your facility free from unwanted pallets, and keeps the pallets in circulation. There is no need to destroy a pallet while it still has a useful life ahead of it. Vendors may initially resist this idea, but be persistent--it could even save them money.

If pallets still accumulate at your site, stockpile them until you have a significant quantity (at least 15-20). Then contact us by email at RecycleWorks in Groupwise. Pallet collection runs are made approximately once per month. The pallets are stockpiled at the County Work Center in Belmont.

When large quantities of pallets accumulate at the Work Center, a pallet recycler is called. They collect all the pallets for reuse, or reconstruction.