A pilot scheme for a new initiative allowing EURO pallets to be uniquely identified is now complete according to the European Pallet Association.
The scheme involved the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in standard EPAL wooden pallets and was carried out in Europe with GS1, a global not-for-profit standards organisation, and 44 European GS1 member organisations.
EPAL says the benefits of implementing RFID technology to identify its pallets include “improved supply chain efficiency, asset visibility and pallet security”. It also believes that the fact that the identity of individual pallets can now be verified will reduce the number of counterfeits.
“The tag concept and the IT infrastructure have been approved and are seen as a very good solution for EPAL,” said Harry Jacobi, EPAL’s chief executive officer.
Issues still to be resolved by EPAL include the number of tags fixed on a pallet for optimal reading and the need to align its work with other pallet pools to create a standard that is beneficial to all pallet users.
The second phase and pre-rollout, which will involve additional countries, will take place this year.
