Pallet cores still count
A core is a used pallet its owner no longer needs, handed on for inspection, repair, dismantling or grinding. Most dock piles are cores.
What a core is
A core pallet is a used pallet recovered for repair, resale, remanufacturing or recycling. The word does not mean the pallet is bad. It means the owner is not going to repair it. A pallet with a cracked stringer is a core. So is a perfectly good pallet in a size the dock no longer uses.
Where a core goes
Inspect
Someone looks at the pallet. If the repair is small, a plug or a nail plate, it goes back to being Grade B.
Repair
A cracked stringer gets a Companion stringer, a split board gets a plate or a swap. The drawing above shows a full-length companion fixed beside a break.
Dismantle
If the frame is beyond a repair but the boards are good, the pallet is taken apart. Boards go into other pallets, which is how a Combo gets built.
Grind
Irreparable wood may be chipped for mulch, composite products or biomass.
How a stack of cores is read
A buyer of cores cares about three things: how many, what size and what is wrong. Size matters because a 48 x 40 core is easy to turn into Grade B stock and a 42 x 42 is a niche. Condition matters because a pile that is mostly missing boards is a source of boards, not pallets. Count matters because it sets how a pickup is planned.
| Condition | Likely path |
|---|---|
| One cracked stringer, deck intact | Repair with a plug or companion stringer |
| Several loose or snapped deck boards | Re-deck, or take apart for the stringers |
| Frame twisted or split in several places | Dismantle for boards |
| Rotted, oil-soaked or contaminated | Grind, if accepted at all |
What to say in the request
- A rough count and whether the pile grows every week.
- The sizes you can see, and if you cannot tell, a photo.
- Whether the pallets are dry. Wet pallets are harder to place.
- Anything unusual: oil, chemical residue or paint. It changes where they can go.
If your pile is cores and also sound stock, mention both, or try the sorter to separate them first.
Questions about cores
What happens to a core?
A recycler inspects it. If it can be repaired, it is. If not, it is dismantled for usable boards, and irreparable wood is chipped for mulch, composite products or biomass.
Do cores have value?
Some, for the boards. Often the value is that someone takes them away.
Should I separate them?
Yes. Mixed in with sound stock, cores lower the value of everything.
What makes a core
Split stringers, missing end boards, broken blocks and rot all make a core. So does a pallet that has soaked in something it should not have. A pallet that looks poor but is structurally sound may only be Grade C.
Counting cores
Cores are counted like any other pallet, but described by cause: broken stringer, missing boards, rot, stained. A few photos of each cause give a buyer the picture.
Volume
Cores are worth most in volume. A pile of two hundred is easier to place than a dozen.
Make the request
Selling cores: say roughly how many, what size, and what is wrong with them.