This table scarcely looks home-made. Those with a flair and sufficient skills can hand craft it with the help of online instructions. Photo: HOMEmade MAKEOVERS / instructables

Positive outlook for EPAL pallet industry - Up-cycling trend: stable, handy, sustainable ... and now even beautiful to look at!

Pallets are popular

The European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL) has delighted at the repeated rise in the production of EPAL Euro palettes. After already closing last year with a 10.9% plus and total volume of 100 million EPAL pallets, the outlook for the current year is just as positive. In the first quarter of 2016 output rose by a total of 5.1% to 18.3 million EPL pallets. It was also possible to repair 6.1 million of the new pallets and, hence, bring them into circulation again. Industry experts estimate that the percentage of custom designs for special cargo now accounts for half of the total volume.

78 nails, 11 planks and 9 blocks is all it takes to make an EPAL Euro pallet. Photo: Frédéric BISSON, zigazou76. Flickr.com.

In the first quarter of 2016 output rose by a total of 5.1% to 18.3 million EPL pallets. It was also possible to repair 6.1 million of the new pallets and, hence, bring them into circulation again. Industry experts estimate that the percentage of custom designs for special cargo now accounts for half of the total volume.

Summer is just about to start and planting time is in full swing. Those with a flair for special flower beds should look to disused Euro pallets as they are cheap to buy and easy to re-purpose. Photo: Jeffrey @ TheFunTimesGuide.

Upcycling-Up-cycling ideas

Design objects made from pallets like these give a whole new meaning to custom design. After all, they not only offer easy handling but also look really great as furniture.

Inviting you to while away your time: sunbed from re-worked Euro pallets. Photo: scrapmaster / instructables.

Be it coffee tables, shelves or dining tables: under the up-cycling banner these aligned pieces of wood panels are converted into coveted rarities. Their stability as well as their favourable pricing never ceases to inspire designers to come up with ever new design ideas. Furthermore, the Internet offers “DIY inspirations” galore.

These timber items are increasingly converted into a wide variety of design objects. Photo: dirkdeus / instructables.com.

Pallets are extremely rugged, practical for transporting all kinds of goods and, what’s more, sustainable thanks to their use of recyclable raw material – timber. These timber items are increasingly converted into a wide variety of design objects. Photo: dirkdeus / instructables.com.