epalrecycling.comEuro pallet reference for the US and Canada

Repaired pallet

Under ISPM 15 a repaired pallet has had up to about one third of its components replaced, and each added piece must be individually marked or the whole unit re-treated and re-marked. Under EPAL rules only licensed repairers may repair EPAL pallets, and they drive in a repair marking nail.

Document
GLS-029
Sheet
Glossary
Last reviewed
Sources
4 cited

The ISPM 15 view

Repair must use only wood treated to the standard, or processed wood. Where treated wood is used, each added component must carry its own mark. Alternatively the national authority may allow the whole unit to be re-treated, in which case old marks are obliterated and a new mark applied. ISPM 15 notes that multiple marks can make the origin hard to judge.

The EPAL view

EPAL licenses repairers separately from producers. A licensed repair uses dimensionally correct, treated parts and adds the repair marking nail. EPAL's poster treats a repair not to specification as not fit for use.

What it means when you sell

A licensed repaired EPAL pallet can be class A, B or C. An unlicensed repair is a not-fit-for-use EPAL pallet, whatever it looks like. Sell it as non-EPAL wood or recycle it.

Sources

Last reviewed . Figures come from these publications; follow the links for the current versions.

  1. ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (adopted 2018, published 2019), IPPC Secretariat / FAO
  2. EPAL Euro pallet (EPAL 1), load-carrier page, European Pallet Association e.V.
  3. EPAL Quality Classification poster (edition 08/2023), European Pallet Association e.V.
  4. EPAL licensing stipulations (June 2020), European Pallet Association e.V.

What do you need to do with them?

Pick one. Each form takes about a minute and goes to one partner, not a list of dealers.

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