EPAL
Also called: European Pallet Association, EPAL pallet, EPAL Euro pallet
EPAL (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.
In depth: EPAL: the European pallet system, marks, licensing and exchange
EPAL is a trademark and licensing system, not a pallet design alone. Only licensed producers may build and mark EPAL pallets, and only licensed repairers may repair them. Independent inspection bodies audit them. pallet.design has no affiliation with EPAL.
EPAL 1 Euro pallet at a glance
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Size | 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.24 × 31.50 × 5.67 in) |
| Weight | About 25 kg (55 lb) |
| Parts | 11 boards, 9 blocks, 78 nails |
| Top deck | 5 boards: 3 × 145 mm and 2 × 100 mm wide, 22 mm thick, 1200 mm long |
| Safe working load (EPAL) | 1,500 kg (3,307 lb) |
| Entry | Four-way |
EPAL also covers other sizes, including 1200 × 1000 mm pallets and the 800 × 600 mm half pallet. The EPAL standard page lists them.
Why it matters
Because EPAL pallets are built to one specification, they can be exchanged one for one across companies and countries (pallet exchange). EPAL publishes quality classes for used pallets to support exchange. EPAL pallets are also ISPM 15 treated and marked for export.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
Say "EPAL 1, licensed, new" or "EPAL 1, used, exchange quality class (per EPAL criteria)". A pallet built to the same dimensions without an EPAL license is not an EPAL pallet and cannot carry the mark. See the EPAL 1 template for the geometry.
Common confusions
"Euro pallet" is often used for any 1200 × 800 mm pallet. EPAL is the licensed, marked version. The older EUR mark belongs to the railway-originated system that EPAL grew out of.
Related
- StandardsEPAL: the European pallet system, marks, licensing and exchangeEPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.) runs the open exchange pool for EPAL Euro pallets. Only licensed producers and repairers may make or repair them, and independent inspectors check quality. The EPAL 1 is 800 × 1200 × 144 mm, about 25 kg, with a 1,500 kg safe working load.
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- Sizes1200 × 800 pallet (Euro pallet): dimensions, weight and specsA 1200 × 800 mm pallet (47.2 × 31.5 in) is the Euro pallet, standardized as EPAL 1 / EUR 1 and one of the six ISO 6780 sizes. The EPAL 1 is 144 mm tall, weighs about 25 kg, and has a safe working load of 1,500 kg. It is the standard pallet for European retail and food logistics.
- GlossaryPallet exchangePallet exchange is an arrangement where a receiver hands back an equal number of empty pallets of the same type and quality for the loaded pallets it receives, so the shipper does not lose pallets with each delivery.
- ComparisonsGMA vs Euro pallet: size, construction and useThe GMA pallet is 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm), traditionally a 3-stringer, partial 4-way pallet, and is the North American grocery standard. The Euro pallet (EPAL 1) is 1200 × 800 mm (47.2 × 31.5 in), a licensed 9-block, 4-way pallet. Use the one your destination's supply chain runs on.
More in Standards and compliance
- GlossaryCP palletCP 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.
- 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.
- 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. 284 words.