CP pallet
Also called: chemical pallet, CP1 to CP9, CP-pallets
CP pallets (chemical pallets) are a family of nine standardized wood block pallets, CP1 to CP9, developed for the European chemical and plastics industries. Each type has a defined size and construction for loads such as bagged polymer, drums and bulk containers.
In depth: CP pallets (CP1 to CP9): dimensions, construction and uses
The CP system came from the European plastics and chemical industry associations (APME and VCI) so that chemical producers and their customers could use common, quality-controlled pallets for automated handling.
CP types
| Type | Size (mm) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CP1 | 1000 × 1200 | Runner (skid) style bottom |
| CP2 | 800 × 1200 | Runner style |
| CP3 | 1140 × 1140 | Runner style |
| CP4 | 1100 × 1300 | Runner style |
| CP5 | 760 × 1140 | Runner style; some sources give 780 × 1140 |
| CP6 | 1200 × 1000 | Perimeter bottom |
| CP7 | 1300 × 1100 | Perimeter bottom |
| CP8 | 1140 × 1140 | Perimeter bottom; top deck with an opening |
| CP9 | 1140 × 1140 | Flush, overlapping bottom |
Sizes follow CP convention. Check the current CP specification for exact component dimensions.
Why it matters
CP pallets are designed for automated plants and for chemical loads such as 25 kg bags of polymer, drums and IBCs. CP3 and CP9 at 1140 × 1140 mm suit drums and square loads. Buyers in chemicals often specify a CP type rather than dimensions.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
Name the CP type and whether it must be built by a certified CP producer. Add ISPM 15 treatment if pallets are exported. See the CP1 template.
Common confusions
CP is a different system from EPAL, although some sizes overlap (CP1 and EPAL 3 are both 1000 × 1200 mm, but with different construction).
Related
- TypesCP pallets (CP1 to CP9): dimensions, construction and usesCP pallets are nine standardised wooden block pallets (CP1 to CP9) designed for the European chemical and plastics industry. They range from 760 × 1140 mm to 1300 × 1100 mm. CP1 to CP5 are 138 mm (5.4 in) high with bottom boards in one direction; CP6 to CP9 are 156 mm (6.1 in) high with perimeter or full-frame bottoms.
- TypesCP pallets (CP1 to CP9): dimensions, construction and usesCP pallets are nine standardised wooden block pallets (CP1 to CP9) designed for the European chemical and plastics industry. They range from 760 × 1140 mm to 1300 × 1100 mm. CP1 to CP5 are 138 mm (5.4 in) high with bottom boards in one direction; CP6 to CP9 are 156 mm (6.1 in) high with perimeter or full-frame bottoms.
- TypesBlock pallet: construction, dimensions and usesA block pallet is a wooden pallet whose deck sits on blocks, usually nine arranged 3 × 3, joined by stringerboards. The gaps between blocks give full 4-way entry for both forklifts and pallet jacks. EUR/EPAL, CP and the pooled 48 × 40 in pallets of CHEP and PECO are all block pallets.
- IndustriesPallets for the chemical and plastics industryChemical loads (drums, pails, IBCs and 25 kg bags) need heavier, tighter-decked pallets than grocery. Europe uses the CP1 to CP9 block pallets; North America uses 48 × 48 in drum pallets, 42 × 42 and 44 × 44 in sizes and heavy 48 × 40s. Deck gaps and load type matter as much as weight.
- TypesDrum pallet: 48 × 48 pallets for four 55-gallon drumsA drum pallet is a heavy-duty pallet sized to carry 55-gallon (208 L) drums, most often a 48 × 48 in (1219 × 1219 mm) square pallet holding four drums. It needs tight deckboard gaps so drum chimes cannot drop between boards, and extra stringers because four filled drums can weigh about 2,000 lb (900 kg) or more.
More in Standards and compliance
- GlossaryDebarked lumberDebarked lumber is wood from which the bark has been removed. ISPM 15 requires all treated wood packaging to be made of debarked wood, allowing only small pieces of bark: under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm² each.
- GlossaryDielectric heating (DH)Dielectric heating (DH) is an ISPM 15 treatment that heats wood packaging with microwaves or radio waves until the entire profile of the wood, including its surface, reaches at least 60 °C for 1 continuous minute. Treated wood is marked with the code DH.
- GlossaryEPALEPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.) is the organization that licenses manufacturers and repairers of EPAL Euro pallets and other EPAL load carriers and controls their quality. The EPAL 1 Euro pallet is a 1200 × 800 × 144 mm block pallet used in open pallet exchange across Europe.
- GlossaryFSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act)FSMA is the US Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. Under its Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food rule (21 CFR Part 1, Subpart O), pallets are transportation equipment and must be designed and maintained so they are suitable and adequately cleanable, and do not make food unsafe.
- GlossaryGMAGMA stands for the Grocery Manufacturers Association (now the Consumer Brands Association), whose name became attached to the standard 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) US grocery pallet: a partial four-way wood stringer pallet with three notched stringers, seven top and five bottom deckboards.
- GlossaryGS1GS1 is a global, not-for-profit standards organization that issues company prefixes and maintains the identification and barcode standards used in supply chains, including GTINs for products, the SSCC for logistics units such as pallets, and the GS1-128 barcode.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 270 words.