Direct answer
Best sources: authorized recyclers, manufacturers and businesses that approve collection.
Ask for clean, unpainted pallets with known ownership and load history. For a project where people, children, animals, soil or food may contact the wood, purpose-bought lumber with a known grade and treatment history is usually the more controllable choice.
Where to ask
Sources that can answer ownership questions
Pallet recycler
Ask for non-pooled, decommissioned stock and whether it has been screened for spills, odor, paint and damage.
Pallet manufacturer
Ask about clean offcuts or new boards when known material and dimensions matter.
Local business
Get explicit permission from an authorized manager and confirm that the pallet is not part of a pool or return program.
Reuse center
Ask about their intake screening, permitted end uses and whether the material is sold with any known treatment history.
Markings
What an ISPM 15 mark does—and does not—say
The official mark identifies covered wood packaging that went through an approved phytosanitary program. “HT” is a treatment code within that system. It does not describe every later cargo, spill, repair, coating or storage condition, and it is not a consumer-product safety approval.
Reject wood marked as someone else’s property, with an unresolved pool logo, or with an altered or suspicious mark. Do not create, copy or reuse an official ISPM 15 mark yourself.
Reject list
Do not reuse wood when the history or condition is wrong
- Oil, solvent, pesticide, food, biological or unknown stains and odors.
- Paint, preservative treatment or coating that cannot be identified.
- Mold, pest activity, rot, deeply embedded debris or water damage.
- Broken boards, protruding fasteners or damage that makes dismantling unsafe.
- Pooled or branded property without the owner’s release.
EPA warns against residential burning of preservative-treated wood because toxic chemicals can be present in smoke and ash. Local waste rules may add requirements.
Collection record
Keep a simple authorization
- Business and authorized contact name.
- Date, location, quantity and identifying marks.
- Written confirmation that collection and ownership transfer are permitted.
- Known prior cargo or screening statement, if available.
- Photos before dismantling.
Need shipping pallets rather than project wood? Use the wooden pallet specification guide.
Primary sources
Safety and marking references
- IPPC — ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international tradeChecked 11 August 2026.
- USDA APHIS — importing ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging materialChecked 11 August 2026.
- US EPA — overview of wood preservative chemicalsChecked 11 August 2026.
- CHEP USA — pallet ownership and returnChecked 11 August 2026.
Common questions
FAQ
Where can I get pallet wood?
Use a pallet recycler, manufacturer, reuse center or business that explicitly authorizes collection and can describe the pallet’s ownership and load history.
Is an HT pallet safe to use indoors?
An HT mark only describes phytosanitary heat treatment. It does not establish cleanliness, contamination history, preservative use or suitability for an indoor project.
Can I take pallets left behind a store?
Do not assume discarded appearance means abandoned ownership. Ask the property owner or pallet owner for permission and keep the authorization.
Can I burn pallet wood?
Do not burn unknown, painted, contaminated or preservative-treated pallet wood. Follow local waste and fire rules; EPA warns against residential burning of preservative-treated wood.
The former statement “HT means safe for reuse” was removed. The revised guidance separates phytosanitary treatment, chemical or cargo history, ownership and project suitability.