Styles · Export or one-way

Sell export or one-way plastic pallets

An export or one-way pallet is built cheap and light for a load that does not come back. It is often sold on as a used lot, and plastic is exempt from ISPM 15.

Last reviewed November 12, 2026

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Export or one-way: the drawn pallet to inspect

Export or one-way: the specs

Material example: Advanced composite material: 100% recycled polyolefins
Trade-off: Lower price, shorter lifespan
Rack rating: Nestable and lighter export designs generally not rated for racking
Note: Used where the pallet is not expected back. Plastic is ISPM 15 exempt.

How a buyer reads export or one-way pallets

A one-way pallet is a cheaper pallet shipped with the load and not expected back. One supplier describes an advanced composite pallet of 100 percent recycled polyolefins: lower price, shorter life, and generally not rated for racking. Another supplier notes there is no single export size and that its nestable export designs include extra-lightweight and air-freight versions.

A buyer reads a one-way lot differently from a multi-trip lot. The pallet was never meant for many trips, so wear and thin decks are expected, and a buyer looks for cracks and missing pieces before anything else. The pallets are exempt from ISPM 15 treatment, so there is no heat-treatment mark to look for.

Lightweight export designs are not usually rated for racking. A buyer who needs racking will not read a one-way lot as a rackable one.

Who has export or one-way pallets to sell

What to send with a export or one-way lot

Where they came from: an import, an export that returned, a supplier
Footprint, often Euro 48 x 32
Photos of the thinnest part of the deck
Count by stack

Choose the style in the pile sorter and it will draw the stack as that style, then carry your answers into the form below.

SOLD

Export or one-way pallets that are whole, clean and unmarked.

RETURN

Export or one-way pallets carrying a pool name, logo or RFID tag.

SCRAP

Export or one-way pallets with cracked, burnt or crushed decks.

Are plastic export pallets exempt from ISPM 15?

Yes. The USDA lists plastic pallets among products not subject to its wood packaging regulation. Wood must be treated and certified; plastic need not be.

Can I sell one-way pallets as used?

Yes, often as a used lot. State that they were one-way builds so the buyer does not assume multi-trip strength.

Words you will meet

One-way pallet: A cheaper pallet shipped with the load and not expected back.
Rackable: Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
ISPM 15: The international standard for treating wood packaging against pests. Plastic pallets are outside it.
Heat treated (HT): ISPM 15 treatment for wood: core at 56 C for 30 minutes. Not needed for plastic.
Nestable: Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
Closed loop: Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
Multi-trip pallet: A pallet designed to be returned and reused many times.
Rotational moulding: Resin heated in a rotating mould to make a hollow jointless part.
Regrind: Plastic ground from used or scrap parts into flakes for moulding again.
Runners: Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
4-way entry: Forks or a jack can enter from all four sides.
2-way entry: Forks enter from two opposite sides only.
Structural foam: Low-pressure moulding where a blowing agent expands the resin in the mould.
Thermoforming: Heated plastic sheet formed over a mould; lighter pallets.
Compression moulding: Moulding by pressing resin in a closed mould; one of six processes in use.
Euro pallet: 800 x 1200 mm footprint.

Who asks, and what they need

Export shippers: Light or low-cost one-way pallets with no ISPM 15 treatment; Euro 1200 x 800 and 1200 x 1000 sizes.
Food and beverage distributors and bottlers: Clean, odour-free, washable pallets; open or closed deck; 56 x 44 beverage and 48 x 40 sizes; often asks about food-contact paperwork.
Retailers that collect pooled or one-way pallets: Stacks of marked and unmarked pallets left by suppliers; need to know which can be sold and which belong to a pool.

What the sources say

Cabka says plastic export pallets are exempt from ISPM-15 treatment, that there is no single export size, and that its nestable export designs include extra-lightweight and air-freight versions. (cabka.com)
USDA APHIS requires wood packaging material entering the US to be treated and certified under ISPM 15, and lists plastic pallets among alternatives that are not subject to APHIS regulation. (aphis.usda.gov)
Advanced composite material pallets are 100 percent recycled polyolefins, cheaper with a shorter life, and suit export where the pallet is not returned. (nelsoncompany.com)
USDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among products not subject to APHIS regulation, as an alternative to wood packaging material. (aphis.usda.gov)
Wood packaging material entering the US must be treated and certified per ISPM 15. (aphis.usda.gov)
Steel, aluminum, plastic and engineered-wood pallets are exempt from ISPM 15; wood must reach a core temperature of 56 C for at least 30 minutes for heat treatment. (en.wikipedia.org)
The International Fire Code permits pallets listed and labeled under FM 4996 or UL 2335 to be treated as wood pallets for sprinkler design. (iccsafe.org)
For products touching the pallet directly, stricter federal requirements may call for non-blended virgin HDPE; recycled pallets often meet general FDA needs. (nelsoncompany.com)
Nestable pallets can cut empty-pallet storage space by up to 75 percent. (blog.containerexchanger.com)
PHS Plastic lists 19 nestable 48 x 40 and other-footprint models with dynamic ratings from 1,102 to 3,500 lb and static ratings from 2,204 to 15,000 lb, so 'nestable' spans light export pallets to heavy-duty stackers. (phsinc.com)
Rehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 heavy-duty nestable pallet is 48.25 x 40.25 x 6.5 in, weighs 28.5 lb, is rated 10,000 lb static and 3,500 lb dynamic, has a 2.55 in nest increment and 1,200 units per 53 ft trailer; the page lists no racking rating. (rehrigpacific.com)
Plastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy; a typical GMA wood pallet weighs about 37 lb. (en.wikipedia.org)
The 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide. (blog.containerexchanger.com)
PHS lists its EXP 100 nestable (48 x 40 x 5.2 in) at 78 pallets per stack and 2,340 per truckload, and its EXP 116 (48 x 40 x 5.75 in, 15,000 lb static) at 40 per stack and 1,260 per truckload: a higher static rating comes with fewer pallets per stack. (phsinc.com)
Private employers in the US averaged 1,775,008 jobs across 42,763 establishments in food manufacturing (NAICS 311) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (166,660), Texas (112,088), Illinois (98,300), Pennsylvania (82,538), Wisconsin (81,993). (data.bls.gov)
Private employers in the US averaged 316,938 jobs across 16,316 establishments in beverage manufacturing (NAICS 3121) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (63,604), Texas (24,154), New York (13,802), Pennsylvania (13,207), Florida (12,661). (data.bls.gov)

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Size, count, grade, branding and ZIP. Photos help, and you can reply to the first answer with them. This site states no price or pickup date.