What does EPAL stand for?

EPAL stands for the European Pallet Association, the non-profit body founded in 1991 that manages the open exchange pool for Euro pallets and sets the quality standard for EPAL load carriers. EPAL is not a government authority but the organisation behind the oval EPAL mark, which certifies a pallet as inspected and exchange-ready.

On This Page

1. What does EPAL do?
2. EPAL, EUR and the Euro pallet: the difference
3. Why EPAL matters to carriers

What does EPAL do?

EPAL runs the world's largest open pallet exchange system, with over 600 million EPAL Euro pallets and several million EPAL mesh boxes in circulation. The association's role:

• Quality standard: uniform rules for the dimensions, material and load capacity of EPAL load carriers.
• Licensing: manufacturers and repair firms are licensed and inspected.
• Exchange pool: exchange-ready pallets circulate one for one, so recipients swap empty for full instead of buying new.
• Marking: the oval EPAL mark on the corner blocks proves origin and inspection.

EPAL, EUR and the Euro pallet: the difference

The three terms are often confused:

• Euro pallet is the pallet itself (1,200 × 800 mm).
• EPAL is the association and its exchange pool, plus the oval inspection mark.
• EUR is the older mark, rooted in the pallet pool of the European railways. EPAL- and EUR-marked Euro pallets share the same dimensions and are interchangeable in practice.

Why EPAL matters to carriers

In exchange, condition is what counts: only undamaged, correctly marked EPAL pallets are accepted. Damaged pallets mean replacement costs or time lost at the ramp. In tour planning with the Planner Module from IMPARGO, the pallet remains the unit behind floor space, weight and loading metres, whether EPAL or EUR. For an overview of all pallet types, see the entry Pallet: Meaning, Types and Uses.