The Arguments Against Reusing Pallets

There are a few reasonable arguments that detractors present for not reusing pallets, especially not indoors.

• Mold, vermin and insects infest pallets that are stored outside in the elements. That can be true, but have you ever seen a lumberyard? Most of the lumber is stored outside in the elements, and people use that to build all sorts of things from furniture to housing. Before it is turned into lumber, the raw timber is left sitting around sometimes for weeks before it is processed. That's why it is treated after it's cut -- to destroy all that bad stuff.
• Shipping pallets contain e. coli and Listeria. Well, so do your drinking water and your own waste products. Besides, neither of these things can live in dry wood, so as long as you don't plan on putting food or your mouth directly onto the wood, I think you're safe as long the finished product resides in a climate-controlled environment. This, however, is why I would never use it to build furniture for a child's room. Children wet things, they spill things, and they chew on things. Better safe than sorry with our children.
• Chemicals from pallets can leach out onto whatever is placed on them or into the air. Yes, this is true...if you don't sand the pallets and seal them or paint them. In reality, the amount of chemicals that would leach from pallet projects indoors would equal to less than what is leaching from your manufactured flooring or imported drywall or even the paint you use in your house. If you're willing to use those things in your house in the quantities you have to use them, then pallet chemicals are the least of your worries.

My Conclusions

I don't believe pallets are dangerous enough to harm you as long as they are treated and kept dry. If you want to use them to make eating surfaces, cover the top with plexiglas or glass, or seal it well and apply several coats of paint.

I do feel that pallets can be used safely for non-eating surfaces, such as bookshelves, couch bases, etc. Some people are using them to build sheds and playhouses, which I feel is probably safe enough with sufficient ventilation. As I stated above, I would not use them in a child's room.

Our world is full of chemicals, from insecticides sprayed on our food to the stain-proofing on our couches to the ingredients in our cleansers. Fire retardants are required treatments on children's clothing and bedding, yet we use those without a thought. We use treated wood to build our houses and put vinyl on our floors. Some organizations are looking to reusing pallets to build emergency shelter for disaster victims.

Whether or not you use pallets indoors, outdoors, or not at all is up to you. There are good arguments on both sides of the controversy, and we will probably never know who is right or wrong.

Sources:

Why We Should Not Be Using Pallets In Our Interiors

Don't Reuse Wood Pallets
 

Published by Deborah Aldridge