EPAL is preparing for the upcoming market launch of digital EPAL Europallets featuring unique QR codes, according to a report from the recent EPAL General Assembly held June 30 in Amsterdam. After several years of IT and printing technology development, it is now possible to mark EPAL Euro pallets with an individual QR code on the right-hand corner blocks at the customer’s request.
“Many companies from industry, trade and logistics are looking for ways to digitalize and optimize their logistics processes to make them more effective and reduce costs,” said Michael Brandt, head of EPAL’s Innovation Lab. “The digital EPAL europallet with QR code will be part of these digital logistics processes in the future. In addition to track & trace and automated booking of goods and pallets, the EPAL Euro Pallet with QR code will also facilitate the digitization of pallet inventories and pallet exchanges.”
A crucial topic of the event was a discussion of the European Commission’s proposal for the future Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). EPAL pallets fall within the scope of the proposed regulation to improve the reuse and recycling of packaging. The EU Commission’s proposal has been the subject of very controversial discussion since its publication on 30.11.2022, so that it is currently not foreseeable when and with what content the PPWR will be adopted.
However, the EPAL Board agrees with the EU Commission’s objectives and, therefore, supports them. The EPAL Board has therefore decided that, regardless of the outcome of the ongoing legislative process, EPAL will already start to further develop the open EPAL pallet pool in accordance with the requirements of the PPWR.“The open EPAL pallet pool already meets most of the requirements of the EU Commission’s proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation,” remarked Jarek Maciążek, President of EPAL
“The reuse and recycling of packaging, as envisaged by the European Commission, has been one of the central components of the EPAL open pallet pool for decades,” he continued. “Therefore, it is not surprising that the definition of open loop systems in the PPWR describes almost exactly how the open EPAL pallet pool works. But the EPAL pallet pool, which is already very sustainable, can also be further improved. In doing so, we would like to implement the good ideas of the PPWR and make the exchange of EPAL pallets even easier and more transparent. More use of exchangeable EPAL pallets means more sustainability and climate protection in goods and transport logistics.”
THE OPEN PALLET POOL
At the meeting, EPAL also announced a partial change in messaging. Since 2019, EPAL has used the slogan “THE PALLET SYSTEM”. The board of EPAL has now decided to change that wording. From now on, the new phrase, “THE OPEN PALLET POOL,” communicates the special advantages that open pallet exchange offers users from industry and trade.
“With the new claim “THE OPEN PALLET POOL”, we want to convey the uniqueness of EPAL even better – the reuse and exchange of EPAL pallets in an open exchange pool that is freely accessible to all users from industry and trade,” said Bernd Dörre, CEO of EPAL.
“EPAL is not only the largest open pallet exchange pool in the world but also unique in every respect with its close network of suppliers and users as well as the international organization of service and independent quality assurance,” he continued. “We would like to show this singularity of EPAL compared to other suppliers – regardless of whether they are closed pools or other pallet suppliers – with the new claim “THE OPEN PALLET POOL ”. There is no other pallet pool like the open EPAL pallet pool.”
Representatives from more than 20 European countries attended the meeting in Amsterdam. The EPAL General Assembly 2024 will take place in Rome on 28.06.2024 at the invitation of EPAL Italia.
Source: EPAL.