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Home | Shredding and recycling pallets

Shred & Recycle Wooden Pallets – Save Space and Cut Costs

Industrial pallet shredders quickly reduce bulky pallets into small, manageable pieces
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Stack of wooden pallets
A pallet is shredded in the shredder.
Wood chips before briquetting
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Pallets, also called transport pallets, are used globally for the safe transport and storage of stackable goods. There are different materials from which pallets are made: for example wood, plastic, corrugated cardboard and sheet metal. The most common are pallets made of wood. Disposable pallets are usually made of cheap softwoods – the boards and squared timber are simply nailed or screwed together. One of the best known is the euro-pallet with standardized dimensions and materials. WEIMA offers suitable shredding machines for all types of pallets.

Customer applications: Pallet shredding with WEIMA

Practical examples of successful pallet processing with WEIMA chippers.
Pallet shredding
Pallets and waste wood shredding with a WEIMA WLK 1500 @ Bropack, Germany
A WEIMA WLK 1500 single-shaft shredder shreds pallets and waste wood from the production at Bropack in Dornham, Germany.
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Wooden pallets shredded by WEIMA shredder
Pallet shredding
Heating with pallet waste
In Frankenthal, Kartoffel Kuhn shreds used wooden pallets into chips with a WL 15 single-shaft shredder. These are then used to heat the buildings.
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Pallet shredding
Three-stage concept
At Augustinuswerk Jessen, three tons of pallet waste are processed every day: The WEIMA WL 8 single-shaft shredder is filled by forklift truck. A magnet is mounted above the discharge conveyor belt, which separates nails or the like. The wood shavings then go to a hammer mill where they are further shredded to approx. 8 mm. A WEIMA TH 1500 briquette press then presses the material into briquettes with a stable shape. These are packaged and sold at a profit.
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Euro pallets are shredded with WEIMA crusher
Pallet shredding
Two-stage pallet processing
A WEIMA Woodwolf breaks wood pallets roughly before a WL 10 shredder shreds the residual wood to a homogenous chip size for the subsequent heating system.
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Pallets made of solid wood
Pallet shredding
Unbeatable combination: shredder and briquette press
A WEIMA WLK 1500 single-shaft shredder shreds used wooden pallets. The overband magnet separates nails and screws. The downstream TH 1500 Duo briquette press compresses the produced wood chips into strong briquettes.
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Fred Haller, Sales Director at WEIMA
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WEIMA portfolio for the shredding of pallets

Two powerful machines for every type of pallet
WEIMA WLK 1500 yksiakselinen murskain
Single-shaft shredder
WLK 1500
The WEIMA WLK 1500 single-shaft shredder is a powerful all-rounder that effortlessly shreds pallets with a working width of 1,500 mm. Thanks to its robust design and efficient rotor technology, it can even process nails or metal fittings with ease and delivers uniform output material for recycling or energy generation.
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Breaker
Woodwolf
The woodwolf was specially developed for crushing large pallets and chipboard. The pre-shredder crushes and tears the fed material into approx. A4-sized pieces using an auger.
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Examples from trade and industry

WEIMA transport technology and magnet
Dried wood chips from pallets
Pieces of wood from pre-crushed pallets
Stack of wooden disposable pallets
EUR pallets for transport
Metal nails and screws after metal separation
Two-stage pallet handling system
WEIMA Woodwolf -internal view of the device
WEIMA:n WLK 1500 shreds wood waste
Stack of packaged wooden briquettes going on sale
Magnetic metal separator above the conveyor belt
Screws and nails sticking out of a wooden pallet
Dry pallets shredded into chips
Wooden pallets shredded by WEIMA shredder
Pallets made of solid wood
Pallet shredder
shredder loading with forklift
View of the wood pallet shredder
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Shredding and recycling of pallets

The most important facts at a glance
Stack of wooden pallets
A pallet is shredded in the shredder.
Why shred pallets?
Pallets can be both a blessing and a curse. Pallets are the ideal helper for logistics tasks. However, wooden pallets in particular take up valuable storage space when they are no longer used. The result: endless, meter-high mountains of discarded transport pallets. This can be remedied by waste management companies that collect the pallets. However, this is expensive and only partially economical. The more efficient solution is to use shredders specially designed for pallet processing. They shred pallets into wood chips, which can then be used as an energy source for your own heating system or sold for profit.
Nails, screws and metal separated
Magnet for metal separation
No need to fear screws and nails
WEIMA shredders shred impurities such as screws, nails, metal staples and spax without any problems. Metals can be separated after shredding with an crossbelt magnet or a magnetic drum. Downstream machines such as hammermills and briquette presses are thus protected from unwanted metal debris.
Energy utilization of wood residues | briquetting
The shredded wood chips can be processed into space-saving, highly compacted briquettes using WEIMA briquetting presses. These can not only be sold profitably, but also stored efficiently, as they take up less space and remain dust-free. They are also ideal for burning in heating systems as they have a high energy density and burn evenly.
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From big to small: wood chips are transported into the bunker using the Steiner screw conveyor.
Wood chips are picked up with hands
Drying chambers are operated with the heater from the wood chip heating system.
Energy utilization of wood residues | burning
Wood chips can also be used directly as fuel to heat buildings and halls.The combustion of wood chips is particularly sustainable, since one uses already existing residual wood and avoids additional deforestation. The CO₂ emissions from burning wood chips are significantly lower than those from oil: approx. 28 g/kWh compared to 318 g/kWh (Source). Wood chips also make sense from an economic point of view, because they offer double savings: the disposal costs of the pallets and the acquisition costs of the additional fuel are eliminated.
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Pallet types

  • Pallet made of solid wood, e.g. one-way pallet, euro-pallet
    sustainable, very resilient, easy to repair
  • Pallet made of pressed wood, e.g. INKA or chipboard pallet
    environmentally friendly, light, nestable/stackablebr
  • Pallet made of plastic, e.g. hygienic pallet, clean room pallet
    low weight, durable, hygienically advantageous
  • Pallet made of corrugated cardboard, e.g. light pallet
    recyclable, low weight, environmentally friendly

Pallets are available in different materials and in various shapes/sizes. Each of them has its own right to exist and has specific advantages and disadvantages, depending on the application.

All pallets have one thing in common:
WEIMA shredders shred them.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Pallet Shredding

Everything you need to know about safely and efficiently shredding wooden pallets.
How can I safely and efficiently shred old pallets with nails?

For pallets containing nails, screws, or metal fittings, a robust single-shaft shredder such as the WEIMA WLK 1500 is ideal. Its solid construction and powerful drive allow it to process foreign materials without interruption. Even damaged or filled pallets can be reliably shredded into uniform wood pieces – safely, efficiently, and with minimal maintenance.

What happens to the wood chips after pallet shredding?

The resulting wood chips can be used in many ways – for example, as fuel for heating systems or as feedstock for briquetting. Many companies combine a WEIMA shredder with a briquetting press to turn wood waste into compact, energy-rich fuel briquettes. In this way, waste wood becomes a valuable and sustainable resource.

How can we reclaim storage space when old pallets pile up?

An industrial shredder like the WLK 1500 allows bulky pallets to be shredded directly on site into manageable pieces. This reduces the volume by up to 90% and frees up valuable storage space. The processed material can then be easily stored, transported, or reused – a major advantage for companies with large pallet quantities.

Is a pre-shredder necessary?

For particularly bulky or high-volume pallet stacks, a pre-shredder such as the Woodwolf is recommended. It performs coarse shredding and prepares the material for a downstream shredder like the WLK 1500. This setup protects the main machine, minimizes wear, and ensures a consistent material flow.

Can shredded pallets really help us save on heating costs?

Yes. Shredded pallet wood can be used directly or after briquetting as an efficient fuel source. Many WEIMA customers heat their workshops or warehouses with this material, significantly reducing energy expenses. It eliminates costly disposal and provides both economic and environmental benefits.

What can I do with leftover wood from pallet processing instead of paying for disposal?

By shredding and briquetting, leftover pallet wood can be turned into high-quality fuel or recyclable material. These products can be used internally or sold for profit. This transforms waste into value while cutting disposal and energy costs.

How does the shredding process work with WEIMA machines?

Pallets are mechanically shredded by a rotor equipped with knives, as in the WEIMA WLK 1500. Optional magnetic separators then remove metal contaminants such as nails or screws from the wood chips. The cleaned material can be used directly for energy generation or further processed downstream.

How durable are WEIMA shredders in continuous operation with nails and metal parts?

WEIMA shredders like the WLK 1500 are engineered for continuous industrial use. A heavy-duty steel frame, hardened cutting tools, and a powerful drive system ensure maximum durability. Even pallets containing nails, screws, or metal fasteners are processed safely and without interruption.

How much space does the machine require?

The required space depends on the specific shredder model and system configuration. WEIMA designs every solution individually, including feeding, conveying, and discharge systems. The result is a space-efficient setup perfectly tailored to your facility layout.