Zero waste is no longer an aspirational concept — it's a certified standard that companies across every industry are pursuing. True Zero Waste certification (as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance) requires diverting at least 90% of waste from landfill. For many manufacturers, pallets represent one of the largest divertable waste streams.
Consider the math: a mid-sized manufacturer receiving 500 pallets per week generates 26,000 pallets per year. At an average weight of 40 lbs per pallet, that's 520 tons of wood. If those pallets go to landfill, they represent a massive obstacle to zero waste certification.
The solution is straightforward: partner with a pallet recycler. Every pallet that enters a recycling program is diverted from landfill, directly improving your waste diversion rate. At Riverside Pallet Co., our 98% material recovery rate means virtually everything we process stays out of landfills.
Documentation matters for certification. Zero Waste auditors require detailed records of waste diversion — tonnage, destination, and processing method. We provide all of this in our quarterly sustainability reports, giving you audit-ready documentation.
Beyond pallets: the mulch, wood chips, and biomass fuel produced from recycled pallets can sometimes be credited toward your zero waste goals as "beneficial use" materials, further improving your diversion statistics.
At Riverside Pallet Co., we've helped over 50 clients incorporate pallet recycling into their zero waste programs. Several have achieved certification with pallet diversion as a key component. If zero waste is your goal, we can help you get there.