UK pallet reuse remains robust, with 53.9 million units inspected and repaired in 2024 and new production up 11%. Meanwhile, TIMCON members reflect on skills, costs, and timber volatility amid tightening circular economy rules.
The latest figures from the 2024 UK Wood Pallets & Packaging Market study confirm that reuse continues to be a defining feature of the UK pallet industry. The independent report, jointly commissioned by the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) and the Forestry Commission, was presented at TIMCON’s Annual General Meeting in London by Guy Watt of John Clegg Consulting.
According to the findings, an estimated 53.9 million wooden pallets were inspected and repaired in 2024, nearly matching the previous year’s 54.1 million. New pallet production rose 11 percent, from 41.7 million in 2023 to 46.3 million in 2024.
The importance of UK pallet reuse
Repairing and redeploying pallets reduces unit packaging cost per trip, cushions buyers from timber and freight volatility, and keeps inventories circulating longer without fresh capex. Operationally, pooled or closed-loop reuse improves supply assurance by shortening lead times and cutting scrap-related disruptions. Environmentally, each additional trip displaces new material, lowers embedded emissions per delivery, increases recovery of components at the end of life, and aligns with circular-economy rules such as PPWR and EPR, without requiring changes to handling equipment or unit-load design.
Respondents again cited sourcing and retaining skilled staff as the top factor influencing business performance in the year ahead, followed by rising costs, strong competition, inflation, and timber price volatility. Now in its tenth year, the report reflects feedback from TIMCON members, who represent 70–80 percent of the total UK pallet market.
TIMCON President John Dye described the results as a testament to the strength of circular business models.
“It’s encouraging to see another year of strong reuse, which is a well-established and major part of supply chain strategies from the FMCG and drinks sectors to pharmaceuticals and construction,” said Dye. “Reuse of these essential assets makes companies more efficient and, at a time when sustainability-focused legislation is rolling out in the UK, the EU, and beyond, it boosts their environmental performance too.”
“This is the tenth year TIMCON has jointly commissioned this study alongside the Forestry Commission, giving our members invaluable insights into how their industry is developing and providing vital data to policymakers on how reuse has continued to evolve in this business,” he added.
Dye reaffirmed the strong talking points associated with wood as a pallet material. “Wood continues to be the material of choice for pallets and packaging because of its continuous renewability, flexibility, and recyclability, not to mention its durability, relative economy, and all-round sustainability.”
The AGM also featured a presentation by Thierry Moubax, CEO and co-founder of AI Compass, who outlined how artificial intelligence will transform pallet and packaging operations, from automating administrative and design tasks to offering real-time performance insights and enabling new business models.
“Look at the repetitive things you don’t like doing,” said Moubax. “But this is not only about optimising—now you can think about transforming your business. Today, everything is possible; it’s only limited by your imagination.”
Additional sessions covered Ireland’s Build with Wood campaign, presented by Clodagh Kealy of Coillte Forest, and updates on PEFC’s expanding certification programs by Executive Director John Kirkby. The event concluded with a networking dinner at the Institute of Directors on Pall Mall.
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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.
