Types of Pallets: The Complete UK Buyer's Guide

"Just send me some pallets" is one of the most expensive sentences in logistics. Pallets look interchangeable from the outside, but the wrong type costs you money in rejected shipments, rack failures, hygiene audits, export delays and unusable inventory. This guide maps out every pallet type you are likely to encounter in UK supply chains and where each one belongs.

1. By material: wood, plastic, presswood, metal, cardboard

Wooden pallets

~90% of UK pallets in circulation. Cheap, strong, repairable, recyclable and easy to source. Available new or reconditioned at Grade A, B or C. Downside: they absorb liquid, can harbour bacteria if left wet, and eventually splinter or break under repeated heavy use.

Plastic pallets

Hygienic, non-absorbent, washable, and last 5-10x longer than wood in closed-loop systems. Standard for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, cleanroom and automated warehouse environments. More expensive upfront (£50 to £200+ each depending on spec) but total cost of ownership is lower in high-turnover loops. We stock food-grade and export plastic pallets.

Presswood (moulded wood) pallets

Made from compressed wood fibres and resin. Lighter than solid wood, nestable for empty-return efficiency, ISPM15-exempt (no bark, no pest risk), and cheaper for one-way export. Lower static load rating than solid wood. Popular with airfreight and single-use export where weight is critical.

Metal pallets (steel and aluminium)

Reserved for extreme-load industrial applications (steel coils, heavy machinery, automotive), military, and specialist closed-loop systems where maximum durability is worth the cost. Rarely seen in general UK logistics.

Cardboard pallets

Honeycomb or corrugated cardboard pallets. Ultra-lightweight (2-5kg), recyclable, ISPM15-exempt and used for lightweight one-way airfreight. Load rating is limited (200-500kg static) and they fail in damp environments. Niche but growing for ecommerce fulfilment.

2. By construction: block vs stringer

The two fundamental wooden pallet constructions.

Block pallets

9 solid wooden blocks at the corners and midpoints, with top and bottom deckboards. Full 4-way forklift entry from any side. Stronger and more durable than stringer, better suited to automated handling. All EPAL Euro pallets are block pallets.

Stringer pallets

3 continuous wooden stringers running the full length of the pallet, with deckboards across. Cheaper to produce than block pallets. Standard format for US GMA pallets. Only 2-way entry unless notched (partial 4-way). Lower profile and lighter, but less robust under heavy racking loads.

3. By entry: 2-way, 4-way, partial 4-way

4-way entry (fork pockets on all four sides) is the default modern UK standard. 2-way only allows forklift access from the two opposite long sides. Partial 4-way has two full-entry sides and two notched sides. If your operation uses conveyor infeed, stretch wrappers or automated AS/RS systems, 4-way is mandatory.

4. By standard: UK, Euro, US, ISO

The UK standard is 1200x1000mm. Euro (EPAL) is 1200x800mm. US GMA is 1219x1016mm (48"x40"). The full size breakdown with load ratings lives in our UK pallet sizes guide. Match the standard to the destination market: UK standard for domestic retail, Euro for mainland Europe, US spec for North America, and ISO-compliant sizes for Asia.

5. By condition: new, reconditioned, remanufactured

New pallets are straight from the manufacturer with fresh timber, no wear, clean face, and full original load ratings. Reconditioned pallets are used pallets cleaned, repaired and graded A, B or C. Remanufactured pallets are built from salvaged boards and blocks to a standard spec, cheaper than new but visibly mixed-grade timber. See new wooden pallets and used wooden pallets for our current stock.

6. By treatment: heat-treated (HT/ISPM15), kiln-dried (KD), methyl bromide (MB)

Heat-treated (HT) pallets heated to 56°C core for 30 minutes. This kills pests and fungal spores and is the internationally recognised ISPM15 standard for exporting wooden packaging. If you are exporting outside the EU, you need ISPM15 heat-treated pallets. See our heat-treated ISPM15 pallets page and the pallets for export guide.

Kiln-dried (KD) reduces moisture content but does not meet ISPM15 unless the kiln cycle also hit the 56°C/30-min requirement. Methyl bromide (MB) fumigation met ISPM15 historically but is being phased out globally because MB is an ozone-depleting substance and toxic in use. Most UK pallet suppliers moved off MB years ago.

7. By ownership model: one-way vs pooled vs exchange

One-way pallets are sold outright and go out with the goods, never to return. Pooled pallets (CHEP, LPR, IPP) are rented from the pool operator and returned after use. Exchange pallets (mostly Euro EPAL) are swapped 1-for-1 between parties in an implicit pool. For most UK SMEs, one-way new or reconditioned is cheapest. For FMCG with retailer pooling agreements (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's), CHEP/LPR is usually mandated.

Which pallet type should you buy?

• General UK B2B, internal use: reconditioned Grade A or B UK standard wooden pallets.
• Retail distribution to a major supermarket: CHEP or LPR pooled pallets (check the retailer's mandate).
• Export outside the EU: new heat-treated ISPM15 UK standard, US 48x40, or Euro depending on destination.
• Mainland Europe: new or reconditioned Euro EPAL, ideally with EPAL stamp if you need exchange.
• Food, pharma, cleanroom: food-grade plastic pallets.
• Oversized or odd-shaped goods: bespoke wooden pallets built to spec.
• Airfreight with strict weight budgets: presswood or cardboard.

Still not sure which type fits your operation? Talk to us via the main products page and we will walk through your specific use case. For sellers looking to offload surplus stock, see the cash-for-pallets page.