Plastic pallets: frequently asked questions

In briefHere you will find 29 short answers to the most searched questions about plastic pallets, grouped by topic. Each answer cites its source and links to the guide that covers the subject in depth.

The answers are short on purpose. Each one stands on its own and links to the guide where you will find tables, exceptions and all the sources.

Choosing and prices

How much does a plastic pallet cost?

It depends on the class. As an indicative range, excl. VAT, a lightweight 1200×800 pallet generally costs about €5 to €30, a medium-duty one about €30 to €60 and a heavy-duty one about €60 to €80; a hygienic pallet falls between €30 and €80. What drives the price is explained in how much a plastic pallet costs. For a real price you need the size, load capacity and quantity: ask several suppliers. The differences between the classes are explained in light, medium and heavy-duty plastic pallets.

Is the CONAI contribution payable on a plastic pallet?

Yes, if you buy it new in Italy: the CONAI environmental contribution (CONAI is the Italian packaging recovery consortium) is paid at the first transfer and the seller shows it on the invoice ^[21]. In 2026 plastic pallets are in band A1.1, at €40 per tonne: about €0.80 for a 20 kg pallet ^[21][22]. The plastic tax, rental and EPR in other countries are covered in CONAI and plastic tax on plastic pallets.

Is it better to buy or rent plastic pallets?

It depends on how many pallets you lose on each trip. With a €45 pallet, a maximum life of 100 trips and €1 per trip in return costs, buying costs €2.04 per trip with 2% losses and €5.50 with 10%. Against a hypothetical rental of €4 per trip, break-even falls at around 7% losses. Pooling operators do not publish price lists: you need a quotation. The formula and the items in the rental charge are in renting or buying plastic pallets.

Is it worth buying used plastic pallets?

For warehousing and packaged goods it can be, if the seller grades the pallets by condition: one operator in the sector, for example, inspects them and assigns each to one of five quality standards ^[23]. Before you buy, check for cracks, warping, reinforcement and origin. For unpackaged food, a used pallet with no known history and no declaration of compliance is not suitable. Checks, repair and end of life are in used plastic pallets.

How much does a plastic pallet weigh?

A 1200×800 plastic pallet weighs from about 4 kg, for a lightweight nestable model, up to about 25 kg, for a heavy-duty model for pallet racking ^[1][2]. A wooden pallet of the same size usually weighs about 10-20 kg. The full comparison is in the guide to plastic pallet materials.

What are the standard pallet sizes?

ISO 6780 lists six sizes, including 1200×800, 1200×1000 and 1100×1100 mm ^[4]. A 1200×800 plastic pallet has the dimensions of a euro pallet but is not an EPAL pallet, which by definition is made of wood ^[3]. The 800×600 half pallet is very common but is not one of the ISO 6780 sizes. All the sizes are in pallet sizes.

Is a plastic or a wooden pallet the better choice?

It depends on how many trips it will make. A 2020 scientific study (Anil et al.) finds a much lower carbon footprint per trip for wood than for plastic ^[5]; a plastic manufacturer's cost model, on the other hand, puts break-even at between 15 and 33 trips, depending on the life assumed for wood ^[6]. On cost, plastic pays off if the pallet comes back and circulates many times; on carbon footprint, in the Anil study wood stays lower even over 100,000 trips. Figures and assumptions are in plastic or wooden pallets.

Is a virgin or a recycled plastic pallet better?

Recycled is not necessarily weaker: in one manufacturer's catalogue, a 1200×800 pallet listed as regrind (6.2 kg) states the same load capacities as a 7.5 kg version ^[1]. For direct contact with food, recycled plastic requires a recycling process that complies with Regulation (EU) 2022/1616 ^[7]. More in plastic pallet materials.

HDPE or polypropylene: what is the difference?

According to one manufacturer's data sheets, HDPE stays stable down to about −45 °C and is the typical material for cold stores and frozen goods ^[8]. Polypropylene copes better with heat peaks, up to about 127 °C against 110 °C, which helps with high-temperature washing ^[8]. The manufacturer's data sheet gives the temperature range of each model. See plastic pallet materials.

Load capacity, testing and fire safety

How many kg can a plastic pallet hold?

It depends on the class and on how the pallet is supported. According to manufacturers' data sheets, a lightweight pallet carries 650-1,000 kg in handling and 1,500-2,500 kg stationary on the floor, and generally has no stated racking load; a medium-duty one about 1,500 kg in handling, 5,000-6,000 kg on the floor and 800-1,250 kg in racking; a heavy-duty one 1,250-1,500 kg in handling, 4,500-7,500 kg on the floor and 1,000-1,400 kg in racking ^[1][2][20]. The values apply to a uniformly distributed load. The full table is in plastic pallet load capacity.

Source: manufacturers' data sheets ^[1][2][20]. Indicative ranges: the value that counts is the one in the data sheet for the model.

What is the difference between static, dynamic and racking load capacity?

It depends on where the pallet rests. On the floor or on a solid shelf it is supported across its whole base: the static load applies, with the pallet stationary and also with other pallets stacked on top, and so does the dynamic load, when you move it with a forklift or pallet truck ^[9]. In pallet racking it spans two beams and works like a bridge: what counts is the racking load, which is generally the lowest of the three ^[9][10]. A 1200×800 goes into the rack with the 800 side facing the aisle and the 1200 side running back into the rack: that way the runners sit at 90° to the beams and cross them ^[32]. Examples and calculations are in plastic pallet load capacity.

How is the load capacity of a pallet measured?

With the tests in ISO 8611-1, revised in 2025 ^[11]. The safe load is obtained by dividing the breaking load by a safety factor of 2 and comparing it with a stiffness test that allows a deflection of 2% of the span: the lower value is adopted ^[10]. For plastic, the standard also includes creep tests under load lasting 24 or 48 hours ^[10].

Which standard should I use to test a plastic pallet?

ISO 8611 for flat pallets: Part 1 (2025) for the test methods ^[11], Part 2 (2025, which replaced the 2021 edition) for the requirements and the selection of tests ^[26], Part 3 (2011) for the maximum working load with known loads ^[27]. In your specification, state the load capacities with the support configuration and ask for the test report. On delivery, check dimensions, diagonals and weight on a sample. The specification template is in plastic pallet specification and testing.

Can I put a nestable pallet in pallet racking?

Generally not, not on bare beams. Lightweight nestable pallets usually have no stated racking load ^[1]: it appears in the data sheets of models designed for racking ^[12]. If the data sheet gives no racking load, do not place that pallet on the beams. If you need to store it at height, put a solid shelf underneath. The differences between nestable, stackable and rackable are in plastic pallet types.

Does temperature reduce the load capacity of a plastic pallet?

Yes. When it is hot, plastic deforms more under a constant load (creep) ^[10], and each material has a temperature range beyond which the manufacturer asks for a check ^[8]. There is, however, no public reduction factor that applies to every model. For cold stores or hot warehouses, ask the manufacturer for the load capacity at the operating temperature. See plastic pallet load capacity.

Is a plastic pallet a problem for fire protection?

It can be. Per kilo, polypropylene releases 40-46 MJ when it burns and wood 17-22 MJ ^[24], which is why some insurance rules, such as data sheet DS 8-24, require more protection for plastic pallets. Models that pass the FM 4996 or UL 2335 tests are the exception: according to the same DS 8-24, an FM Approved pallet is stored and protected like a wooden pallet ^[25]. Separation distances for idle pallets and the role of the insurer are in plastic pallets and fire safety.

Export

Does a plastic pallet need ISPM 15 treatment for export?

No. The FAO's ISPM 15 standard applies only to wood packaging ^[13]; a plastic pallet is not wood and so falls outside its scope. You need neither heat treatment nor the IPPC mark. All the details are in pallets for export and ISPM 15.

If I use wooden chocks or boards on a plastic pallet, do I need ISPM 15?

Yes. Solid wood accessories used with the goods, such as chocks, bearers or boards, are still wood packaging and must be treated and marked to ISPM 15 for export outside the EU ^[13]. Plastic chocks and saddles avoid the problem. See roll chocks.

Do I need ISPM 15 for shipments within the European Union?

Normally not. EU requirements for wood packaging, set by Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, concern goods arriving from third countries and do not apply to trade between Member States ^[14]. The exception is conifer wood leaving the areas demarcated for the pine wood nematode, such as Portugal: it must be treated and marked as under ISPM 15 ^[30]. For export outside the EU, the rules of the destination country apply: Great Britain, for example, requires ISPM 15 even for wood arriving from the EU ^[31]. More in pallets for export and ISPM 15.

Hygiene and food

Which rules must a plastic pallet for food comply with?

If the pallet can reasonably be expected to come into contact with food, Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 applies ^[15]; for plastics, Regulation (EU) 10/2011 as well ^[16]. The supplier must issue a declaration of compliance and ensure the traceability of the material ^[15]. See hygienic and food-grade pallets.

Is a plastic pallet more hygienic than a wooden one?

Not always. A study by the Institut für Holztechnologie Dresden, commissioned by a wooden pallet industry association, found antibacterial activity on wood more than 13 times higher than on used, unwashed H1 plastic pallets ^[17]. The advantage of plastic is that it can be washed and disinfected: without a cleaning plan, that advantage disappears. We cover this in hygienic and food-grade pallets.

What does HACCP require of pallets?

Regulation (EC) 852/2004 requires containers and conveyances used for food to be kept clean and to be designed so that they can be cleaned and, where necessary, disinfected ^[18]. It does not prescribe a material: it requires that the pallet can be cleaned thoroughly and that the company does so under its own HACCP plan. See hygienic and food-grade pallets.

How are plastic pallets washed?

By hand with a pressure washer if there are only a few, in a batch cabinet (20-30 pallets an hour) or in an automatic line (60-200 an hour), according to the tables of one pallet washer manufacturer ^[28][29]. According to one pallet manufacturer's data sheets, short peaks such as washing should not exceed about 110 °C for HDPE and 127 °C for PP ^[8]. The frequency is set by the company's HACCP plan ^[18]. Methods and machines are in plastic pallet washing.

Reuse and the PPWR

Does the PPWR require reusable pallets?

From 2030, yes, for a share. Regulation (EU) 2025/40, applicable from 12 August 2026, requires at least 40% of transport packaging such as pallets to be reusable within a re-use system; from 2040 the operator must aim for 70% ^[19]. Between sites of the same company or of linked companies, and for deliveries to another operator in the same Member State, the share rises to 100% ^[19]. Deadlines and exemptions are in reusable pallets and the PPWR.

How many trips does a plastic pallet last?

There is no independent figure. A study commissioned by a plastic pallet manufacturer counted 280 cycles for plastic against 11 for wood ^[6]. It is a partisan figure: actual life depends on forklifts, loads and maintenance. See plastic or wooden pallets.

Can a plastic pallet be recycled at the end of its life?

Yes: HDPE and polypropylene are ground and go back into making new pallets, such as the regrind models already in catalogues ^[1]. The PPWR also requires reusable packaging to be recyclable at the end of its life ^[19]. Before you buy, ask the supplier whether it takes back used pallets. Take-back, repair and waste codes are in used plastic pallets and recycling.

Reels and rolls

How do you transport reels on pallets without damaging them?

With a reel pallet that holds the reel in a shaped recess, or with a flat pallet and roll chocks. A reel puts its weight on a narrow line, while pallet load capacities refer to uniformly distributed loads ^[12]: an ordinary flat pallet is not enough. What matters are the reel's diameter, weight and width, and the core diameter. The full guide is reel pallets.

Saddle or cradle pallet: what is the difference?

In the Italian trade, the words for saddle, cradle and reel pallet often refer to the same thing: a support with a recess that follows the curve of the reel and stops it rolling. More than the name, what matters is that the recess is sized to the reel diameter and that the load capacity is stated for that type of load. See reel pallets and the glossary.

What are roll chocks for?

They hold reels and rolls lying horizontally so that they do not roll during storage and transport. They are also called wedges, roll stops or stoppers. For export outside the EU, solid wood chocks must be ISPM 15 treated; plastic ones need not be ^[13]. Sizes and uses are in roll chocks.

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