Materials & making
Where Euro pallets go to die in America
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Seventy-eight nails, driven to a specified pattern, into eleven boards and nine blocks. And then it arrives in Colorado and nobody knows what to do with it.
The EPAL Euro pallet is the most tightly specified pallet in the world. UIC 435-2 governs board dimensions, block sizes, nail count, nail pattern and moisture content. A genuine one will outlast two GMA pallets comfortably. It is a genuinely excellent object.
It is also, in North America, a logistical orphan.
Why it does not fit here
- Width. Two Euro pallets are 1600 mm — about 63" — across a 96" trailer. That wastes 33" down the entire length. Two GMA pallets use 80".
- Racking. Beams specified for a 48" deep pallet leave a 1200 mm (47.24") Euro pallet slightly under-supported, which is exactly the wrong direction to be slightly wrong in.
- Weight. At 25 kg it is nearly twice a GMA pallet, which matters on air freight and on any weight-based rate.
- No exchange. The European exchange pool does not operate here. A Euro pallet in Denver cannot be swapped for another one; it can only be used, sold or stored.
Verifying a genuine one
This matters because counterfeits are common and because the price difference is large. Four marks, all on the corner blocks.
- EPAL oval branded — not printed — into the left corner block, on both sides.
- Country and licence code on the right corner block: country code, licence number, production year.
- IPPC / ISPM 15 mark on the centre block — wheat symbol, country code, registration, HT.
- The control nail driven diagonally into the centre block with a stamped head. This is the hardest mark to fake and the one a professional buyer checks first.
What they are worth
| Condition | We buy at | We sell at | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genuine EPAL, sound | $9.00 – $16.00 | $16.00 – $26.00 | Our highest-value core |
| Genuine EPAL, repairable | $5.00 – $9.00 | $14.00 – $19.00 | Block and board repairs |
| Unstamped 1200x800 | $3.50 – $6.50 | $9.00 – $14.00 | Good pallet, no exchange status |
| Damaged beyond repair | $1.50 – $3.00 | — | Excellent lumber recovery |
Note the last row. A dismantled Euro pallet yields unusually good lumber — European softwood, consistently dimensioned, kiln dried and heat treated. Our crating shop competes with the repair line for it.
Who buys them here
There is a real market, it is just not the one people expect.
Machine shops and fabricators
The higher load rating and full four-way entry suit heavy, awkward parts. Many of our Euro pallets go to Front Range machining businesses.
Exporters to Europe
Shipping on a Euro pallet into a European receiver removes a handling problem at the far end, even without exchange.
Breweries and distilleries
The block construction and pallet-jack access from all four sides suits a cellar.
Furniture and cladding makers
For the lumber rather than the pallet. Consistent softwood boards with a heat-treatment stamp are exactly what the reclaimed market wants.
If you have a stack of them
Do not skip them — they are the most valuable core in the yard. Do not try to make them work in racking designed for 48" pallets. Do photograph the corner blocks and send us the picture; verification takes us about ten seconds and changes the offer substantially.