The pallet market in Italy

Pallets, or loading pallets (also colloquially referred to as platform, pallet or pallet) are equipment used to support various types of materials. They are intended to be stored in industries, moved with specific equipment such as forklifts and pallet trucks, and transported by various means of transportation. They are horizontal platforms that support goods and help hold them in place while being transported from one place to another using a front-end loader or forklift. The primary purpose is to speed up the handling of both bulk and individual goods; the secondary purpose is for utility and ease in warehouse management. Depending on the application, they can be made of various materials such as wood, plastic, metal, and so on. In Europe, the most popular dimensions are 1200x1500. The height from the ground and the structure of the base, which has 9 feet connected at the bottom in groups of three, are similar in these two types. The European Pallet Association e.V. (EPAL), established in 1991 as an organization for manufacturers and repairers of EPAL-branded pallets, is responsible for the quality of EPAL pallets placed on the market worldwide through an independent third-party inspection system. For non-EU, the pallets used are called Fitok pallets.

in 2023, the market was valued at $98.92 billion and is expected to grow steadily at a rate of 5.3 percent per year, reaching a value of $128.06 billion in 2028

In Italy, EPAL pallet production remained solid during 2020. Compared with the same half of the previous year, the change recorded was slightly negative with only a few tens of thousands fewer pallets placed on the market, compared with several million in Italian production. Pallet production is something of a benchmark for Italy to gauge the country's economic recovery, as the more production, the more pallet supply is needed. In Italy, one of the largest pallet manufacturers is Casadei Pallets. The lockdown has resulted in a significant reduction in the volume of FITOK-branded wood packaging going to non-EU countries.

Italy, like other European countries, is very active in terms of reusing and reconditioning used pallets. Used pallets do not necessarily have to be discarded, there are several techniques for reconditioning or disassembly and complete reuse of wood that save tons of C02 from wood processing.