Plastic pallet materials: HDPE, PP, virgin and recycled

Updated on 19 October 2026 · ROLL technical team

In briefAlmost all plastic pallets are made of HDPE, which handles cold better, or PP, which handles heat better. Recycled material is fine for packaged goods; for direct contact with food you need a recycling process that complies with Regulation (EU) 2022/1616.

HDPE and PP: the difference that matters is temperature

Plastic pallets are almost always made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP). Both are thermoplastics: they can be injection moulded, thermoformed or processed in other ways, and they can be melted down again. The processes and their costs are covered in custom plastic pallets.

Diagram of the temperature ranges of HDPE and PP pallets, with cold store and hot washing — HDPE for cold, from about −45 °C; PP for heat, up to about +82 °C in service and 127 °C at washing peaks.

In practice, the difference lies in the temperature ranges in which each material stays stable ^[1]:

Material	In service	Short peaks (e.g. washing)	Where it is used
HDPE	about −45 °C / +77 °C	up to about 110 °C	cold stores, frozen goods, outdoors in winter
PP	about −23 °C / +82 °C	up to about 127 °C	high-temperature washing, hot environments

These values come from one manufacturer and depend on the type of load and how the pallet is supported: in pallet racking, where the pallet spans two beams, or on a solid shelf or the floor. Outside these ranges the same manufacturer asks for a technical check case by case ^[1]. The link between temperature and load capacity is explained in the guide to plastic pallet load capacity; for sub-zero use see plastic pallets for cold stores and frozen goods.

We found no independent data comparing the stiffness of HDPE and PP: what counts is the stiffness stated in the data sheet of each model.

Virgin or recycled

The same pallet can be moulded from virgin polymer or from regrind. Recycled is not necessarily weaker: in one European manufacturer's catalogue, a 1200×800 pallet listed as regrind weighs 6.2 kg and states the same load capacities (1,500 kg static, 650 kg dynamic) as a 7.5 kg version ^[2]. The two versions also differ in their edge design, so the comparison is only indicative.

A coloured virgin plastic pallet and a black recycled plastic pallet side by side, with granules and regrind in front — Virgin or recycled: regrind is not necessarily weaker; in one catalogue a 6.2 kg recycled model states the same load capacities as the 7.5 kg version.

Virgin material is the choice when you need a uniform colour, traceability of the material or contact with food.

Recycled material and food contact

A pallet counts as a food contact material even when it can 'reasonably be expected' to touch food, for example if it carries loose fruit or meat in open crates ^[3]. In that case Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 applies and, for plastics, Regulation (EU) 10/2011 with its declaration of compliance ^[3]^[4].

Recycled plastic adds one more step. Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 allows recycled plastic materials intended for food on the market only if they are made with a recycling technology recognised as suitable, or with a novel technology developed under its rules, with the process and the plant registered ^[5]. A pallet made of regrind of unknown origin has no such guarantee.

Material selection diagram: direct food contact versus goods that are already packaged — Loose food on the pallet: certified virgin material or recycled material compliant with Regulation (EU) 2022/1616. Goods already packaged: recycled is normally fine, the HACCP plan decides.

In practice:

for direct contact with food you need certified virgin material, or recycled material from a process that complies with 2022/1616, with a declaration of compliance;
for goods that are already packaged, recycled material is normally acceptable, but the company's HACCP plan decides.

In the United States the reference is 21 CFR 177.1520, which permits PP and PE in contact with food ^[11]. The whole topic of hygiene is covered in the guide to hygienic and food-grade pallets.

Fire behaviour

Store of empty plastic pallets stacked under a ceiling sprinkler system — In a fire, plastic starts at a disadvantage: FM Global and NFPA 13 require stricter sprinkler protection unless the pallets are FM Approved.

Sprinkler rules treat a store of plastic pallets more strictly than wood, unless the pallets are certified. FM Global DS 8-24 protects plastic pallets that are not FM Approved as unexpanded plastic, and FM Approved pallets as wood ^[6]. NFPA 13 raises the commodity class of goods stored on uncertified plastic pallets and deals with idle pallets separately ^[7]^[8].

Before you switch from wood to plastic in a sprinklered warehouse, involve your insurer or fire protection engineer: the change may require the system to be upgraded. FM 4996 and UL 2335 tests, separation distances for idle pallets and flame retardants are covered in plastic pallets and fire safety.

Weight compared with wood

Diagram of the weight of three 1200×800 pallets: EPAL wooden, nestable plastic and heavy-duty plastic — Wood about 10-20 kg; plastic from 5.2 kg for a nestable model to 18-25 kg for a reinforced heavy-duty model.

1200×800 pallet	Indicative weight	Source
Wood	usually about 10-20 kg	typical figure, varies with timber species and moisture
Lightweight nestable plastic	5.2–8.2 kg	^[2]
Medium-duty plastic for pallet racking	14–20 kg	^[2]
Heavy-duty plastic with reinforcement (also 1200×1000)	about 18–25 kg	^[2]

A lightweight pallet saves weight in transport, especially by air. A heavy-duty one weighs as much as wood or more, but lasts many more trips. The full comparison, including costs and the studies that come out in favour of wood, is in the guide plastic or wood.

End of life and recycling

Broken plastic pallet next to its regrind, ready to mould new pallets — A broken HDPE or PP pallet is ground and becomes raw material for new pallets: agree on take-back with your supplier.

HDPE and PP can be ground and remelted. A broken pallet becomes raw material for new products, including new pallets, as the regrind model in the catalogue cited above shows ^[2].

The EU Packaging Regulation (EU) 2025/40 requires reusable packaging to be designed for as many rotations as possible, to be reconditionable and to be recyclable at the end of its life ^[9]. In practice it pays to buy pallets that can be repaired, or at least recycled because they are made of a single polymer, and to state in the contract who takes back the broken ones. Repair, take-back and the waste code are covered in used plastic pallets and recycling.

On carbon footprint, however, the independent studies we found generally come out in favour of wood. The peer-reviewed study by Anil et al. (2020) finds that, per trip, a wooden pallet has a carbon footprint 71.8-80.3% lower than plastic. On a basis of 100,000 trips the authors find even larger differences ^[10]. Other studies, with different assumptions, are summarised on the page on pallet carbon footprint. The rules on reuse are in the guide to reusable pallets and the PPWR.

Frequently asked questions

Is an HDPE or a PP pallet better?

HDPE is generally the choice for cold stores and frozen goods: one manufacturer's data sheets give stability down to about −45 °C. PP copes better with heat, up to about +82 °C in service and higher peaks during washing, but handles cold less well (about −23 °C). For use at room temperature, the model's data sheet and the price decide.

Can a recycled plastic pallet be used for food?

For direct contact with food, the recycled plastic must come from a process that complies with Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, that is a recycling technology recognised as suitable, or authorised and registered. A pallet made of generic regrind has no such guarantee. If the pallet carries only packaged goods there is no direct contact, and recycled material is often acceptable: the company's HACCP plan decides.

Are plastic pallets more dangerous than wood in a fire?

It depends on the pallet. FM Global (DS 8-24) treats plastic pallets that are not FM Approved as unexpanded plastic, with stricter sprinkler requirements, while FM Approved pallets are protected like wood. NFPA 13 also raises the commodity class of goods stored on uncertified plastic pallets. Before you change pallets in a sprinklered warehouse, talk to your insurer or fire protection engineer.

How much does a plastic pallet weigh compared with wood?

A 1200×800 wooden pallet usually weighs about 10-20 kg. A plastic pallet of the same size ranges from about 5 kg for a lightweight nestable model to 20-25 kg for a heavy-duty model with runners and steel reinforcement. Recycled is not necessarily heavier: in one European manufacturer's catalogue, a 1200×800 pallet listed as regrind weighs 6.2 kg and states the same load capacities as a 7.5 kg version.

Can a plastic pallet be recycled at the end of its life?

Yes: HDPE and PP are thermoplastics, and a broken pallet can be ground and remoulded into new products, including new pallets. The EU Packaging Regulation (EU) 2025/40 requires reusable packaging to be recyclable at the end of its life. It makes sense to agree with the supplier on the take-back of end-of-life pallets when you buy them.

Sources

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