Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you follow us over on our Facebook page, you've seen this video already, but in case you missed it over here, I couldn't resist sharing this awesome video from The Canadian Wood Pallet & Container Association's campaign to encourage folks to reuse wood packaging.
The Pallet Reuse Debate
We've mentioned the safety question about reclaimed pallets before, and since this video is all pallet eye candy, I thought I'd bring it up again. My gut reaction is always "safety first," but after mulling it over more, I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I probably won't use wood pallets to build a food garden bed or a compost bin, but for something like the Pallet Adirondack Chair, reclaimed wood pallets strike me as safe enough. I found this comment especially interesting (if a little bit condescending):
You probably already have lots of E. coli in all sorts of places in your yard, not to mention all around. We humans were created to live with and, oh my gosh, need bacteria to function properly. If you garden, you are doing one of the best things that you can for your health, exposing yourself to all sorts of bacteria and other microrganisms. Use your pallets and don’t worry!
BTW – I am a medical microbiologist.
The other thing to keep in mind, as some commenters brought up, is that some wood pallets are treated with chemicals. Treated wood is NOT safe for use around food gardens. Commenter Bill has you covered:
Hi Becky, I did a little research and came up with these two sites on Wiki. Check out the markings in the pallets to find the safer ones to use and not put yourself and your family in danger.
What do you guys think? How cautious is too cautious when it comes to reclaimed crafting materials?