Thread: Pallet timber.. OK or toxic?

You'd have to assume that it is treated.

If it is going to be exposed to the weather and/or soil it would be good if it was treated BUT.... it is possible for the chemical treatment to leach out with water.

I don't know what it might do to the vegies.

If you are really worried about chemicals, you shouldn't use plastic either.
There is a chemical that comes out of some plastic that is similar to a human hormone that is reputed to cause cancer.

And if you are going that far, you shouldn't use newspaper either 'cos the print can contain traces of lead.

The pallets that I see in and about the Port of Los Angeles do not appear to be treated. I don't see a logical reason that a manufacturer would treat their pallets. The object of the pallet is to get the material from the manufacturer to the consumer. Most manufacturers here don't want their pallets back. However there are some commodity products that are two way pallets and those are usually painted and stenciled with the manufacturer's name.

forget the planters, if their old its hardwood. put them to good use. these little horses came from the last pallet i found on the side of the road

I am inclined to agree with Rich, pine pallets are usually a one use transporter
made cheap, so it doesn't seem to make sense that they would go to the expense of using treated timber.
David

Hi, there is a company in WA called Pinetec that do make pallets,have a squizz in the phonebook and give them a hoy..they may well be able to help you with your querry!

Cheers

Originally Posted by redwood

forget the planters, if their old its hardwood. put them to good use.

I've never had much luck with using the wood from pallets. Most of the wood was split and really poor quality. Actually the pallets were too good of a use for the wood.

With importing products and quarantine matters, maybe they have to treat the timber so little critters dont hitch a free ride into the country? :confused:

Originally Posted by oges

With importing products and quarantine matters, maybe they have to treat the timber so little critters dont hitch a free ride into the country? :confused:

Spot on!,...When I worked for a living, we imported a lot of raw materials from O/S and those pallets where dumped. They appeared to be pine, soft whitish wood but they all had a little caution label on them stating they had been treated for "Syrex Wasp"????....Nobody ever took any of these, and the little labels fell off without much effort, so I'd err on the side of caution if I was you.

The guy at the pallet yeard said they had not been treated with arsenic, but had been treated for wasps..

He seemed to think it would be ok..

I'm not so sure anymore...

Here is a couple of pics of the pallets..

Originally Posted by John Saxton

Hi, there is a company in WA called Pinetec that do make pallets,have a squizz in the phonebook and give them a hoy..they may well be able to help you with your querry!

Cheers

Just called these guys and they said the pallets are just heat treated to kill wasp eggs. So I guess they should be allright to use.

I will still line them with some lovely carcinogenic plastic though

Originally Posted by antisense

I will still line them with some lovely carcinogenic plastic though

Black plastic film is usually made of polyethylene which is non toxic, whilst the black pigment is probably a form of carbon black. I cannot see a prolem with either component as a combined product.

Originally Posted by savage

Spot on!,...When I worked for a living, we imported a lot of raw materials from O/S and those pallets where dumped. They appeared to be pine, soft whitish wood but they all had a little caution label on them stating they had been treated for "Syrex Wasp"????....Nobody ever took any of these, and the little labels fell off without much effort, so I'd err on the side of caution if I was you.

Sirex Wasps destroy pine plantations. As far as I'm aware they were eradicated some years ago in Australia. There used to be a Crapiata Pine Plantation near Seven Mile Beach in Southern Tasmania which was used for experimental Sirex Wasp eradication programmes. I think the dead trees were removed years ago.

Originally Posted by chrisb691

....polyethylene which is non toxic, .....

Not that it would kill you straight out, no, but... it does give off chemicals & if you are smart you will avoid as many cemicals as you possibly can.

I had a discussion with the guys at Pink Pallettes Woodridge Brisbane a year ago.
The timber in the palletes they use are treated with H4 - similar treatment to landscaping pine timber. The reason why they are treated is because they were used to freight items on ocean going vessels.
The timber is ok, some checking and some twisting in the timber but fine for landscaping and fencing. I don't know if it leaches out, but most timber treatments seem too and stain the footings after a while.