It may be hard to believe that wooden pallets play a major role in the history of our economy.
Along with forklifts and container ships, pallets have revolutionised how modern materials are handled and transported.
Pallets were first introduced in the early 1920’s – prior to this wooden crates, kegs and barrels were generally used to move merchandise.
The development of the modern forklift truck in 1926 made vertical stacking possible which greatly improved the efficiency of warehousing and storage facilities – to facilitate the use of forklift trucks, boards were attached to the bottom of the pallets which resulted in improved weight distribution and the modern pallet was created.
Originally they were narrow enough to fit through standard doorways, eventually warehouses were designed to accommodate larger pallets thus reducing the cost of labour.
From gardening to home improvement and decor, wooden pallets have many DIY uses – pallets are simply left over wood so using them is a very eco-friendly and green thing to do.
From just one pallet you can assemble a DIY desk, a couch, a bed, a picture frame, a swing, a storage area, a garden and many more creations.
Picture of tiny dining area.
Creative wood herb planter made of wooden pallets pallet hanging on the grey fence in a backyard. Garden work. Vegetable life. Pallet painted in black as interesting idea for plants. Rosemary Basil.
Flower pots hanging in a wall. Decor mount done with recycled wood pallets.
What’s great about using a wooden pallet as a material, is that you can get it for free – check out your local builder’s merchant, hardware store and garden centres.
Pallets are normally marked with either MB which means they have been chemically treated or HT which means they have been Heat Treated and are not harmful to your health – avoid using MB marked pallets for indoor use and be careful of any protruding nails.