Top Five Ways To Recycle A Pallet

If you’ve recently ordered had a job lot of tiles delivered by Tile Mountain you’ll know that we deliver them to your property nicely wrapped and attached to a wooden pallet. We do this because we want your tiles to arrive in one piece, saving you the trouble of having to return any that may have been broken. All well and good, but what do you do with a hulking great pallet once you’ve completed your tiling project? If that is a question you’ve been asking yourself then read on as we’ve collated five great ways you can recycle them…

Free-Standing Planter

An interesting way to bring nature that little bit closer – especially if you don’t have much garden space – these free standing pallet planters are incredibly easy to construct. All you need is a drill, a few long countersunk screws and some rudimentary DIY skills. Just place the two pallets back to back and screw together then stand the structure upright before placing some shop-bought plastic window box-style containers in between the slats. Add some compost and plant some flora or vegetation of your choice and then just sit back and watch them grow.

Sofa Frame

Great for those with a penchant for stripped-back industrial style, pallet sofas really compliment exposed brick and pipework and concrete effect floors. They’re fairly straightforward to construct too – just take two long euro pallets and stack vertically (using countersunk screws to secure them together) then attach a further two square open boarded pallets in an upright position to form the backrest. Add cushions or upholstery of your choice and mount on castors if you so wish and you’re done! These also look fantastic when used outdoors as garden furniture.

Rustic Hanging Kitchen Rack

You can never really have enough kitchen storage, especially if you’re a keen cook and have all manner of pots, pans and utensils to stow away. Rather than stashing that cast iron cookware in a dusty cupboard and then clattering around each time you take to the hob, why not transform a pallet into a rustic hanging rack? Simply attach some chains to an upturned four way entry open boarded pallet and hang from a supporting wall. Once in place, use meat hooks to hang your cookware and utensils et voila! You’ve freed up kitchen space and your meal preparation tools are always within grabbing distance.

Coffee Table

Another one for the urban/industrial style devotees, pallet coffee tables have in recent years become de rigueur for everyone from loft-dwelling hipster types to proprietors of artisan cafes and über-cool art-spaces. The only limit is your imagination when it comes to knocking up a centrepiece table for you home or office but we have to say that some of our favourites take the simple and stylish ‘treated pallet with swivel castors’ approach. Again, all you need to create your very own are some screws, a drill, and some paint!

Bed Frame

Especially apt for open-plan living spaces and perhaps the epitome of boho chic, the pallet frame bed has become furniture shorthand for ‘creative urbanite’. Expect to find these in situ across converted warehouse residences in places like Hackney Wick and Williamsburg, as well as the bedrooms of enterprising art students. That’s not to say that if you’re not a metropolitan creative that you can’t have one though – the only barrier to entry is your own level of DIY competency. As with the pallet coffee table, you can get really imaginative here and construct a bespoke frame to suit both your style and storage needs.

Do you have any particular pallet creation favourites or even any build tips to share? If so, hit us up via our social channels and we’ll do our best to feature your contributions in a follow-up article.