Not every pallet can be repaired, but no pallet needs to go to waste. When a pallet reaches the end of its useful life as a shipping platform, it begins a second life as a raw material for mulch, animal bedding, biomass fuel, and other wood-based products.
The transformation begins with dismantling. At our facility, end-of-life pallets are broken down using pneumatic tools and specialized pallet dismantlers. Any boards in salvageable condition are set aside for repair stock. The remaining wood moves to our chipping line.
Industrial wood chippers process the pallet lumber into chips of controlled size. The chipper settings are adjusted based on the intended end product: fine chips for animal bedding, medium chips for landscape mulch, and coarse chips for biomass fuel.
Metal separation is critical at this stage. Powerful rare-earth magnets positioned above the conveyor belt extract all nails, screws, and metal fragments from the wood chip stream. Clean wood chips are essential — a single nail in a bag of mulch is a safety hazard and a liability risk.
Landscape mulch from pallet wood is popular with landscapers and garden centers. It provides excellent weed suppression, moisture retention, and soil temperature regulation. Some of our mulch is dyed (using non-toxic colorants) to produce the red, brown, and black mulch you see at garden supply stores.
Biomass fuel is another high-demand product. Clean wood chips are sold to biomass energy facilities where they're burned to generate electricity and heat. This displaces fossil fuels and keeps the carbon cycle closed — the CO₂ released during combustion was originally absorbed by the tree during growth.
Animal bedding from pallet wood chips is used in equestrian facilities, poultry operations, and livestock farms. The chips are processed to a specific size and screened to remove dust and splinters, creating a comfortable, absorbent bedding product.