The city of Grand Rapids agrees and works hand in hand with Michigan in considering wood pallets as ‘clean wood’, which can be reused, land-filled or used as bark mulch and fire wood unlike the scrap wood and treated wood. Being the country’s center for furniture production, Grand Rapids is committed in bringing world-class wood products while striving to be environmentally responsible.
Wooden pallets are very much preferred and used by small and large companies, farms and even homeowners in Grand Rapids. This is because wooden pallets are cheaper than plastic and metal pallets. Another reason is that they are made from renewable resources and are recyclable; and most importantly, wood pallets have high friction to make loads more secure.
The wood pallets recycling business owners in Grand Rapids usually collect pallets from around the entire city and state, sort them for rehash and repairability, fix them, and then sell the repaired pallets back to the previous user or another buyer. Workers disassemble the pallets that cannot be salvaged and cut to size for reusable parts. Larger operations need varied degrees of automation for disassembling, assembling and stacking pallets. Depending on the condition, a single pallet may require a slight or full repair process where a dismantling machine is needed to remove boards off the stringer. The reclaimed and reusable parts are then reclaimed to become fully reusable again.
As the unemployment rates continue to climb, a slight increase reported in the city of Grand Rapids, recycling wood pallets saw a huge potential in providing great job opportunities for the people. More than 5,000 people are getting their livelihood through the industry with a total payroll of over $137 million each year. The recycling industry produces an annual net income of about $2 billion from recycled goods including wood pallets. Formerly known as the “Furniture City” of the US, Grand Rapids receives the largest curbside recycling program and could be the country’s “Green City,” as well.
