Pallets are Being Reclaimed to Make Modern Lifestyle Products

The simple product that revolutionized shipping and makes much of our modern lifestyle possible – is now more than a pallet for many gardeners, artists, and builders. It’s a starting point for an endless array of ideas and projects.

You’ve probably heard of using pallets for backyard or patio gardening. The spaces between the pallet boards can be filled with dirt and compost, and the boards themselves serve as a weed barrier, making growing lettuce or herbs easier, less time consuming, and more attractive. The pallets can either be laid flat on the ground or hung vertically for gardeners with space constraints. For apartment dwellers, using pallets offers them a simple way to try out their green thumbs without investing in heavy and expensive pots or containers. Just add or remove a few boards here and there, break out the dirt and seeds, and you’re good to go.

Wood reclamation is really big right now, and pallet furniture is another idea that has taken off. The boards from pallets provide a wood source for a rustic design style. Adirondack chairs, sofas, coffee tables, benches, and patio furniture are common projects, but, really, the sky’s the limit. Many amateur furniture builders have designed and created very beautiful pieces out of basic pallet wood.

It’s not just furniture, either. Entire houses are now made of pallets. This is such a popular use that there are pallet house plans for sale on the internet. This is perhaps an offshoot of the tiny house movement that is being embraced by Millennials who cannot afford a traditional mortgage on an untraditional salary, but pallet houses can be used in a number of settings: as a vacation cottage, a hunting refuge, or a play house for children. Mount one on a trailer in lieu of an RV. Some people are even floating them as an inexpensive way to house the homeless. Properly constructed, they are snug, as well as easy to clean and repair. Some architects have taken up the challenge to build with pallet materials as well, creating both boxlike and curving buildings for indoor/outdoor use. They make for interesting viewing, to say the least.

In the Czech Republic, artist Tomas Moravec has even figured out how to travel with pallets by adding strategically placed wheels to a basic pallet. This “skateboard” can be placed into tram tracks for a fast and simple way to get around town.

With so many uses, including the all important original use, it’s not surprising pallets are now in style. We at Kamps can’t wait to see what people will do with pallets next. Space travel, perhaps?

By: Mitchell Kamps