Pallet collection service
Surplus and unwanted pallets, any load
Every collection, sound or broken, from photo to count.
See pallet collection service →
Pallet disposal and removal
We remove broken and beyond-repair pallets from business sites across the UK as waste. Broken wooden pallets are taken apart for boards and blocks, and wood that cannot be reused goes for recycling. The price depends on the number of pallets and site access, and collection is usually free for 50 pallets or more.
Which pallets do we remove for disposal?
We remove broken, scrap and beyond-repair wooden pallets as waste, from warehouses, factories, shops and construction sites, together with any sound pallets in the same load.
A typical load is the corner of a yard or a goods-in bay where broken pallets have built up for months, with a few good ones buried in the pile. You do not need to sort it before we come.
| Pallets | Removed as | What happens to them |
|---|---|---|
| Broken and damaged wooden pallets | Waste | Taken apart for boards and blocks |
| Scrap pallets with missing boards or blocks | Waste | Taken apart, sound parts reused and the rest chipped |
| CP and odd-sized wooden pallets nobody reuses | Waste | Taken apart for boards and blocks |
| Plastic pallets | Priced on the quote | Broken ones recycled, reusable ones sold again |
| Sound UK standard, Euro and half pallets in the load | Not waste, bought | Sold again |
CHEP, LPR and IPP pallets in a load are set aside for their owners.
Pallet disposal is the waste side of our pallet collection service, and the law decides which side each pallet falls on.
Sound pallets in a removal load are paid for; what we pay is set out on our we buy pallets page.
When do broken pallets count as waste?
Broken pallets count as waste when the business holding them has discarded them because they are unsuitable, unwanted or surplus to requirements, under Environment Agency guidance.
The Environment Agency weighs all the signs together, so no single snapped board decides it. Damage, low or no value and no certain use all point the same way.
- Waste
- Unsuitable, unwanted or surplus to requirements, meaning damaged, of low or no value, with no certain use.
- Not waste
- Used again as a pallet, meant for reuse when it changes hands, and needing no more than minor repair.
Waste wooden pallets carry the code 15 01 03 for wooden packaging in the List of Wastes.
How does pallet removal work?
Pallet removal works in four steps, from sending the details and agreeing the quote to handing over the pallets and getting them sorted.
- 1Send the details
The number of pallets, a photo of the pile and the collection postcode.
- 2Agree the quote
We reply the same working day, with any charge written on the quote before we book.
- 3Hand over the pallets
We load them on the agreed day, from where they stand.
- 4Get them sorted
Sound pallets are counted and paid for, and broken ones are taken apart.
Pallet removal cost and what sets the price
Pallet removal cost is set by the number of pallets, their condition, how they are loaded, the postcode and how often you need a removal, and the price is written on the quote before we book.
| Cost driver | Lowers the price | Raises the price |
|---|---|---|
| Number of pallets | Collection usually free for 50 pallets or more | Priced on the quote for under 50 pallets |
| Condition | Uncontaminated wood, with sound pallets in the load paid for | Contaminated pallets, plastic pallets, pallet collars |
| Loading | A forklift on site | No forklift, so a tail-lift vehicle comes |
| Postcode | A site close to other collections | A remote site on its own |
| How often | A regular removal, weekly, fortnightly or monthly | A one-off visit for a few pallets |
A small load is priced, not turned away. When the load qualifies, the conditions are set out under free pallet collection.
Which vehicle removes the pallets, and what access does it need?
The vehicle is sized to the load and the site, with an articulated lorry for full loads and a smaller rigid lorry or a flatbed where access is tight.
- Vehicle
- An articulated lorry for full loads; a rigid lorry or a flatbed for tight access.
- Stacking
- In one place where a vehicle can reach them, no more than 2.4 m high.
- Loading
- Your forklift loads the vehicle.
- No forklift
- We send a tail-lift vehicle, priced on the quote.
Tell us about height barriers, gate widths and loading times on the form, so the right vehicle comes first time. Loose scrap does not need sorting by size; a single heap a forklift can reach is enough.
What paperwork does pallet disposal need?
Pallet disposal needs a waste transfer note, which the business handing over the pallets keeps for 2 years, under the waste duty of care code (GOV.UK).
The duty of care applies to anyone who produces, carries, keeps, treats or disposes of business waste, so it covers pallet waste disposal at every step. We are a registered waste carrier, and you get a waste transfer note for every collection.
| What the note records | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| The time and place of the transfer, and the SIC code of the business handing over | Shows when and where the pallets changed hands, and who produced them |
| The names, addresses and signatures of both parties, and the capacity each acts in | Shows who handed the waste over and who took it, with their permit or registration number |
| The waste code and description, for example 15 01 03 for wooden packaging | Shows what the waste is |
| The quantity | Shows how much left the site |
| A waste hierarchy statement | Confirms the duty to apply the waste hierarchy has been met |
For regular removals of the same waste with the same carrier, one season ticket note covers a series of transfers for up to one year. A weekly removal does not need a fresh note every week.
Can broken pallets go in a skip or be burned?
Yes for a skip, no for burning. A skip firm must be a registered waste carrier, because anyone who transports waste for others must register (GOV.UK). The business still keeps the waste transfer note and checks the carrier on the Environment Agency's public register in England, or the Natural Resources Wales register in Wales.
Burning waste pallets on site falls outside the D7 exemption for burning waste in the open, because its list covers plant tissue, sawdust, shavings and cuttings from untreated wood, and bark, not 15 01 03 wooden packaging, and other waste needs an environmental permit or a different exemption (GOV.UK, checked 6 November 2026). Landfill sits last in the waste hierarchy, after re-use, recycling and other recovery.
How soon can pallets be removed?
We remove pallets usually within 3 working days of booking, from business sites across the UK, and the day is confirmed with your quote.
- Window
- Usually within 3 working days of booking.
- Day
- Confirmed with your quote.
- Regular removals
- A fixed day each week, fortnight or month, or a one-off clearance.
Book pallet disposal and removal
Tell us how many pallets you have, their condition, how they can be loaded and the postcode; the quote states the price, or that collection is free, before we book.
- Quantityhow many pallets
- Conditionbroken, mixed or contaminated
- Loadingforklift on site or not
- Postcodewhere the pallets are
- Frequencyone-off or regular
What happens to the wood from removed pallets?
The wood from removed pallets is taken apart for boards and blocks that repair other pallets, and wood that cannot be reused is chipped for recycling or, for lower grade wood, energy recovery.
- RepairSound boards and blocks go into repairs on other pallets.
- RecyclingWood too damaged to reuse is chipped.
- Energy recoveryLower grade wood goes for energy recovery, as Defra ranks it.
The full sorting route is set out on our pallet recycling page.
More pallet collection services
Pallet disposal sits beside three related services, the full collection service, free collection for 50 pallets or more, and pallet recycling.
Free pallet collection
Loads of 50 pallets or more
The four conditions that make a collection free.
See free pallet collection →
Pallet recycling
Wooden and plastic pallets
Sorting, repair and recovery for every pallet collected.
See pallet recycling →Pallet disposal and removal FAQs
Is there a pallet disposal service near me?
We remove broken pallets from business sites across the UK, priced by postcode. Send the number, a photo and the postcode, and we reply with a price the same working day.
Is pallet disposal free?
Free on 50 pallets or more of uncontaminated wooden pallets, broken ones included, loaded by your forklift. Other loads are priced on the quote.
Do you remove plastic pallets for disposal?
Yes, plastic pallets are removed with the wooden ones and priced on the quote. Broken plastic pallets go for recycling, and reusable ones are sold again.
Do you take CHEP pallets for disposal?
No. CHEP, LPR and IPP pallets remain the property of the pool companies, so we never buy, sell or recycle them; they go back to their owners, broken ones included.
Are broken pallets worth anything?
Broken pallets earn no payment, but sound pallets in the same load do. We pay per pallet, by size and grade. Sound UK standard, Euro and half pallets are most wanted.
