How To Recycle Pallets To Use In Your Home

If you’re the type who enjoys decorating your home with one-of-a-kind furnishings, you’ll be glad to know that there are plenty of options to consider. All you need are safe, recyclable materials and some ingenuity.

An example of such material is a wooden pallet—those stackable wooden structures used to transport goods, often moved using a pallet jack or forklift. Shipping pallets are typically made from hardwood (oak, mahogany, hickory) or softwood (pine). The lumber used for pallets, regardless of the type of wood, are by-products of trees harvested to produce furniture, grade lumber, and paper, as well as veneer production.

Benefits Of Using Recycled Pallets For Home Decor

There are several benefits to utilizing used pallets at home. Aside from being easy on the budget, wooden pallets also promote recycling, which helps you perform your part in saving the environment. Wooden pallets are very adaptable, so you can think outside the box when creating décor or furnishings for your home.

Are Recycled Pallets Safe to Use?

Before starting any project using wooden pallets, determine whether you will use new or old pallets. The advantage of repurposing used wooden pallets is that the material is abundant. But before you get excited and grab any pallet lying around, you need to make sure these are safe to use. It is best to check if the recycled pallets meet the following standards:

• Cleanliness: Since pallets are used to transport different kinds of goods, it’s safe to assume that the wood may have been exposed to toxic materials. There are many recycled pallets out there that are neat and clean, so be patient. You can reach out to companies that offer quality-checked wooden pallets that may be used for any purpose that you have in mind.
• Markings: Pallets with IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) marks mean that the wood has been subjected to treatment using chemicals or heat to prevent insect infestations. Unmarked pallets are those used within the country and maybe safe to repurpose.
• Color: Avoid using pallets that have been painted a different color or coated with varnish. It will be more challenging to determine whether a wooden pallet is safe to use when the appearance has been altered.

Pallet Recycling Ideas For Home Decor And Furnishings

Here are some examples of furniture pieces or decorations to put up in different areas of your home using the wood from pallets:

1. Headboard

Your room headboard needs not to be boring—use a wooden pallet to create a headboard that adds rustic appeal to your bedroom by keeping the natural color, save for a clear varnish coat to protect the wood, and give it some shine. However, you can make your pallet headboard fit your modern chic bedroom by painting it a striking color to make it pop on your bedroom walls.

2. Play Table And Bookshelf

Buying a desk or table to put up in your children’s play area should not be too expensive. With the help of a tradesman or by yourself (if you are a skilled DIYer), a children’s table made from high-quality wooden pallets is easy to do. You can add storage shelves at the side of the table where they can keep their books and tools.

3. Kitchen Racks

Racks made from pallets are great space and budget savers. Take four slabs of wood from the pallet, attach 3 or 4 wire baskets on it, and nail them on your kitchen wall. You can store your favorite fruits and vegetables there for easy access. You can also build a simple spice or mug rack to save pantry and cabinet storage space.

4. Living Room Sofa

A living room couch may be the most complicated pallet furnishing in this list, but it’s not as tricky when you have the right tools and skills. Start by creating an L-shaped sofa at an empty nook in your living room to serve as a spot to read a book or magazine quietly.

The beautiful thing about using good quality wooden pallets is that it takes most of the effort to build furniture for your home. All you need to do is come up with a design or search for inspiration online to create your very own home decorations and furnishings.

Takeaway

If you love the practicality of wooden pallets in sprucing up your home’s interiors, the good news is that there are endless possibilities when using this material. Whether for your bedroom, the kids’ playroom, the kitchen, or the living room, you will find a design that works best for your space. The best thing about repurposing pallets for home use is you can create different types of home décor that are functional and one-of-a-kind.