How Much Weight Can a Pallet Hold? | UK Load Guide | Palltech
UK pallet load ratings explained. Static, dynamic and racking loads. What new, Grade A, B, C wooden and plastic pallets can safely carry in 2026.
Pallet Guides & Knowledge Hub
Straight answers on pallet sizes, grades, stamps, heat treatment and export compliance. Written by the Palltech team from 20+ years of daily pallet operations in the UK.
What's in the Palltech pallet knowledge hub
The UK pallet industry is full of jargon, grey-area standards and "it depends" answers. This hub exists to cut through that. Every guide is written from real operating experience running the Widnes depot, collecting and grading hundreds of thousands of pallets a year, and shipping ISPM15 heat-treated stock across the UK and into Europe.
Mega-guides
The long-form reference pieces. Pallet sizes UK, types of pallets, what is ISPM15, and the full A/B/C grading breakdown. Start here if you're new to procuring pallets.
Comparisons
Head-to-head answers to the decisions buyers actually have to make. Wood vs plastic, new vs used, Euro vs UK, 4-way vs 2-way entry, block vs stringer, and what the HT, KD and MB stamps mean in practice.
Quick questions
Short, specific answers to the questions we hear every week. How much is a pallet worth, how to dispose of pallets safely, whether you need ISPM15 to export, how many pallets fit in a 20ft or 40ft container, and how long a pallet really lasts.
Looking for a specific pallet instead?
If you already know what you need, skip the reading and head straight to the product pages: new wooden pallets, used wooden pallets, heat-treated ISPM15 pallets, plastic pallets and Euro EPAL pallets. Selling surplus pallets? See our cash-for-pallets page.
Pallet basics: the questions we hear every day
The standard UK pallet is 1200mm x 1000mm (often called a "UK standard" or "GKN" pallet). The Euro pallet is 1200mm x 800mm. US and Canadian shipments often use 1219mm x 1016mm (48" x 40"). For full dimensions, load ratings and entry types, see the mega-guide linked above.
ISPM15 is the international standard that requires wooden packaging (including pallets) used for export outside the EU to be heat-treated or fumigated and branded with a specific stamp. If you're shipping wood-packed goods to the US, Canada, Australia, China, UAE or most non-EU countries, you need ISPM15 pallets. Intra-EU shipments don't require it.
Grade A pallets are close to new: clean, structurally sound, no broken boards, suitable for onward sale or export. Grade B pallets show visible wear but are still load-rated and fit for internal logistics. Grade C pallets have damage and are typically used for repair stock, one-way shipments or recycling. Different suppliers grade slightly differently, so always confirm what each letter means for the supplier you're buying from.
Wooden pallets are cheaper, stronger per pound, easy to repair and recyclable, and cover 95% of UK logistics. Plastic pallets are lighter, hygienic, easy to wash, non-absorbent and last longer in closed-loop systems, which makes them the standard for food, pharma and some automated warehouses. For most B2B shipping the answer is wood; for food-contact, cleanroom or closed-loop use, the answer is plastic.
As of 2026, a Grade A UK standard pallet fetches roughly £3-£6 when sold in bulk, Grade B £1.50-£3, and Grade C is often zero or a small handling fee. Euro EPAL pallets are worth more: Grade A EPAL typically £6-£10 each. Actual price depends on volume, condition, location and whether collection is required. See the "how much is a pallet worth" guide for the full breakdown.
You can, but you usually shouldn't. Heat-treated pallets are safe to burn but ISPM15 fumigated pallets (MB stamp, now largely phased out) release toxic fumes. Skipping pallets is wasteful and expensive when there's a resale market for most grades. In most cases the right answer is a free collection from a licensed recycler - which is usually what we do at Palltech. See our sell-your-pallets page if you want us to quote.