At Pallet Central Enterprises we’ve written previously about pallets as a core part of a sustainable supply chain. Being in the pallet business for nearly 20 years, we’ve also picked up a few facts about pallets that aren’t well known by the general public or even some members in the industry. So, the team sat down together and came up with 5 awesome facts you may never have known about pallets.
Pallets are truly versatile pieces of equipment, but were betting you didn’t know this next fact:
The Earliest U.S. Patented Design for a Pallet was in 1924
Wood platforms have been used by human beings to transport materials since before recorded history. As the industrial and machine ages began to change the world and commerce, the various systems of shipping goods across the ocean or across land were still tethered to moving freight in bulk and breaking it down as it moved along the supply chain.
The invention of the automobile, and then the truck, changed the way material could be shipped and stored, and new machines like the lifting platform (later developed into the forklift) were being tested with new load types that utilized a platform made with wood and other materials.

The first official U.S. design was patented by Howard T. Hallowell in 1924. He called it the “Lift Truck Platform” and it utilized wood plank decking with metal sled-type legs.
A further refinement in pallet design was patented by George Raymond and Bill House in 1939. The key distinctions were the use of wood for all the pallet components, a center stringer for added stability, and gaps in the board placement that allowed for jacks with wheels to pick up the load for movement. Thus, inventing the first specialized double-faced pallet.
Every Year These Villagers Build an Enormous Pallet Tower
In the village of Alesund, Norway the townsfolk celebrate MidSummer or Sankthans on June 24th by building a 130ft tower of pallets. The MidSummer Festival is a celebration of the birth of John the Baptist and has been a tradition for many years.

This tower of pallets, looking almost biblical in scale, made the Guinness Book of World Records in 2016 as the world’s tallest bonfire at more than 155ft. Yes, that’s right! Part of the celebration is burning the tower to the ground.

While we at Pallet Central Enterprises would rather see all those pallets get recycled and re-used for transporting goods, we understand and commend the Norwegians and their viking-inspired traditions. SKOL!
It Takes Just 36 Recycled Pallets to Save 1 Metric Ton of CO2
At Pallet Central Enterprises, we often discuss with our customers the value of using recycled wooden pallets in their supply chain. Not only is it economically better in terms of costs, but it is also a great way to demonstrate sustainable principles in supply chain management that have a positive impact on climate change.
One of the core tenets of climate change is that greenhouse gases like CO2 trap heat and warm the atmosphere, which causes more weather diversity and temperature variations around the globe. These changes can create havoc for people and supply chains, increasing costs and problems.
When using a pallet that has been recycled instead of sent to a landfill that action saves CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. One of the great tools available at the Nature’s Packaging website is the wood waste/carbon calculator.

The calculator is based on the EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) which uses dimensional lumber to calculate the emissions saved. Dimensional lumber is nothing more than measured lumber, for example like a 2”x4”, you would commonly see at a lumber yard or home goods store.
When 36 pallets are recycled for re-use in the supply chain, 1 metric ton of CO2 is saved from entering the atmosphere and it is the same as removing 3 cars and their emissions from the road.
Pallets really are the key to a sustainable supply chain.
95% of Wood Pallets are Recycled and Re-used
A recent market study released in 2018 by the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) in collaboration with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and the USDA Forest Service found that more than 95% of wood pallets were recycled and kept from landfills.
The industry market survey asked pallet manufacturers, pallet recyclers, and pallet brokers about pallet production, material usage, and business practices to gain an understanding of the market and industry. The data showed that wood pallets are recycled more often than any other packaging materials like plastic, corrugated, or steel.
This makes wood pallets and packaging a truly sustainable choice for use in the supply chain.
48×40 Wood Pallets Are the Most Common Pallet Size
When most people think of a pallet, they remember the stack of pallets sitting by the loading dock as they were driving by. Most of the time, those pallets were likely the 48×40 or GMA pallet. We wrote a blog post recently about the 48×40 pallet and how it is the workhorse of the supply chain.

But we bet you didn’t know just how many of these versatile pallets are actually produced every year. Let’s break down the numbers:
- Overall pallet production is around 850,000,000 pallets every year. This includes both new and recycled pallets.
- Nearly 5,000,000 board feet are used in producing and repairing pallets every year.
- 48×40 pallets are the dominant size of pallets. 35% of all pallets produced are 48×40 pallets and that equals a whopping
297,000,000 million pallets.
The 48×40 or “GMA” pallet really is the standard for its utility and use across many different industries.
Wood pallets are a great way to incorporate sustainable practices into the supply chain operations of your company. At Pallet Central Enterprises, our staff has decades of experience and knowledge to help you make the right decisions regarding your pallet needs. Give us a call at (404)814-1048 to find out what we can do for you.