EPAL has released EU declarations of conformity for its pallets as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation begins to apply, giving pallet users and suppliers a standardized way to demonstrate PPWR compliance.
EPAL has published EU declarations of conformity for its pallets as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) begins to apply, giving pallet users and suppliers documentation designed to demonstrate compliance with the new packaging rules.
The European Pallet Association announced the declarations on August 12, the date on which the application of the PPWR began. While many requirements under the regulation will be phased in over the coming years, EPAL said the obligation to demonstrate conformity with Articles 5 through 12 applies from August 12, 2026.
Because EPAL pallets are classified as transport packaging, they fall within the scope of the PPWR. EPAL’s declarations of conformity, prepared in accordance with Article 39 and Annex VIII of the regulation, are intended to provide companies using EPAL pallets with evidence that the pallets meet applicable packaging requirements.
“Users of pallets should be able to focus on their core business. EPAL’s publication of the PPWR declarations of conformity for EPAL pallets simplifies compliance processes for users of EPAL pallets in industry, retail and logistics,” said Dirk Hoferer, president of EPAL. “With the recently published PPWR declarations of conformity for EPAL pallets, they receive clear confirmation that the EPAL pallets they use meet the requirements of the PPWR. This provides legal certainty and reduces the documentation burden on companies. This is a significant advantage, particularly for companies with complex or cross-border supply chains.”
EPAL said many companies had already received PPWR compliance information for their pallets either directly from the association or through pallet and goods suppliers. By publishing the declarations on its website, EPAL is making that documentation broadly available to companies using the pallets for transportation and storage.
Digital Pallet Passport Supports Compliance
The organization is also incorporating PPWR information into its digital pallet passport. Users and EPAL-licensed pallet suppliers can access the passport through a QR code and include the code in delivery documentation or provide it electronically to customers.
The digital passport originated with the introduction of EPAL pallets carrying QR codes in 2024, initially providing production-related information. EPAL is now expanding the system to include compliance documentation and other information relating to pallet use and reuse.
“To facilitate proof of PPWR compliance, we use the digital pallet passport for EPAL pallets, which we developed when EPAL pallets with QR codes were introduced in Year 2024 and which originally contained only information about the production of EPAL pallets,” said Jarek Maciążek, president of EPAL. “We have now further developed the digital pallet passport and will, in future, make all key information about EPAL pallets and their use and reuse available here, such as the PPWR declarations of conformity for EPAL pallets.”
Maciążek added that the QR code, digital pallet passport, and physical marking of EPAL pallets are also being used to address the PPWR marking requirements under Article 15(6).
According to EPAL, its declarations confirm, among other things, that EPAL pallets are reusable and recyclable and comply with PPWR requirements concerning substances in packaging under Article 5.
The association said its longstanding quality assurance program provided much of the data required to conduct the conformity assessment. EPAL plans to use the same system to continuously verify compliance rather than treating conformity documentation as a one-time exercise.
“The preparation of PPWR declarations of conformity is not a one-off process. Packaging manufacturers are obliged to continuously verify and ensure the PPWR compliance of their packaging and to document this,” said Bernd Dörre, chief executive officer of EPAL. “This also applies to EPAL pallets. To fulfil these obligations, EPAL can draw on its quality assurance system for EPAL pallets, which has been in place for decades.”
Dörre said the quality assurance system supports not only pallet quality and safety but also reusability, an important element of both PPWR compliance and the operation of the open EPAL pallet pool.
Open Pallet Pool Positioned for PPWR Reuse Requirements
EPAL also pointed to the European Commission’s updated PPWR FAQs, published August 3, 2026, which again cited the EPAL pallet pool as an example of an open reuse system. The distinction could become increasingly important as packaging reuse targets begin taking effect in 2030.
As an open pool, EPAL pallets can be exchanged and reused among companies without users entering into a closed pooling contract. EPAL argues that this broad accessibility can help businesses meet future reuse requirements while simplifying the compliance burden associated with pallet procurement.
“The reuse of packaging works particularly well when it is easily accessible and the pallets can be shared by as many companies as possible across different sectors,” Hoferer said. “This is the strength of the open EPAL pallet pool, and the publication of the PPWR declarations of conformity for EPAL pallets contributes to this.”
The declarations are also available for all nine types of EPAL CP pallets. EPAL said increased production of its CP pallets during 2026 has been partly driven by demand for pallets with clearly documented PPWR compliance.
EPAL said it plans to add further pallet types to its open pool as industry, retail and logistics companies prepare for additional PPWR requirements in the years ahead.
Founded in 1991, EPAL operates the open EPAL pallet pool through a network of more than 1,750 licensed pallet producers and repairers. The organization estimates that more than 670 million EPAL Euro pallets and approximately 20 million EPAL box pallets are currently in circulation.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
