{Image: Stacey Brandford on House & Home}
I was planning on doing a round-up of inspiring pallet diy’s, until I came across this article on curbly.com – Why we SHOULD NOT be using pallets in our interiors.
A little further investigation of my own and it’s got me wondering…
maybe this pallet diy trend is not as human-friendly as it is enviro-friendly.
The main arguments for not using pallets as furniture indoors are:
- Wooden pallets are susceptible to vermin and insects infestations.
- To move across borders (in the US at least) they require fumigation – which is often performed with methyl bromide, a highly toxic, ozone-depleting chemical.
- Shipping pallets contain e. coli and Listeria, and are prone to mold growth when left out in the elements.
- Contamination from chemicals used to treat the wooden pallets can leach out onto whatever is placed on them or into the air.
- Wood pallets made with “engineered wood” components contain urea formaldehyde – a known carcinogen.
While I’m all for recycling materials where possible, I’m definitely against having chemicals unnecessarily in the home. And I’ve seen first-hand how sick someone can become when they come in contact with mouse and rat urine.
So I’m including a short list of articles found online – both pros and cons – to let you make your own informed choice about whether or not you’ll use pallets inside.
Furniture from heat treated wood pallets.
Are pallets safe to reuse?
What every pallet buyer needs to know about heat treating.
Should you use pallets to make indoor furniture?
Don’t reuse wood pallets.
When trends attack! Shipping pallet edition.
Recycling wood pallets and packaging. (Australian information)
In the meantime, I’m adding the Beachfront Retreat DIY (pictured above) to my list of possible summer projects… which gives me plenty of time to think about pallets.
