Where it is
On a block of a repaired pallet; present only after a licensed repair.
What it proves
That the pallet was repaired by an EPAL-licensed repair operation.
In detail
Only licensed repair operations may repair EPAL pallets, and EPAL says unlicensed repair will be legally prosecuted. Its licensing stipulations require applicants for a repair licence to order repair marking nails from an EPAL-approved supplier straight after applying, and the FAQ points licensees to the approved nail makers in its member directories.
A repaired pallet is not a lesser pallet in EPAL's scheme. The 2023 classification poster allows classes A, B and C to have been repaired, provided the repair marking nail is there. What disqualifies a pallet is a repair that does not meet specification: a board that is too thin, a block that is too small, or a replacement part that is not an EPAL-compliant component.
For a North American dock that receives euro pallets, this is the practical limit: you may sort, sell or recycle them, but if a pallet needs a new board, it goes to a licensed repairer or to recycling. ISPM 15 adds its own rule: replacement wood must itself be treated and individually marked.
Common misreadings
- No repair nail plus visibly new boards suggests an unlicensed repair. That pallet should not go back into the pool as EPAL.