Chemical industry use case
200 L drums, 1000 L IBCs, powder bags, big bags, octabins, cartons: each chemical packaging has its optimal CP pallet. Case-by-case guidance — driven by what you ship, not by the pallet dimension you think you need.
The logic: unlike a standard EPAL pallet, CP chemical pallets come in 9 models (CP1 to CP9) to match the different packagings of the chemical industry. This guide starts from your product and points to the right model; the full specification tables live on our CP pallets product page.
The CP system — defined by the VCI (the German chemical industry association) and specified by the ECTA — standardised 9 pallets to cover the main uses of European chemical logistics. Three criteria separate the models:
Choosing the wrong model means unstable containers, risky stacking, or wasted deck and container space. Because the specification is industry-wide, a CP3 loaded in France is the same CP3 expected at a packing line in Antwerp, Rotterdam or Tarragona — chemical buyers order by model number, not by description.
A standard 200 L drum is about 585 mm in diameter; a 1000×1200 mm deck takes 4 drums in a 2×2 layout.
Composite IBCs have a standard 1200×1000 mm footprint, which points directly to the matching CP formats:
⚠️ Mind the weight: a full 1000 L IBC weighs 1,000 to 1,200 kg. That sits within the 1,500 kg dynamic rating of the CP1/CP6, but leaves a thinner margin than the 20-30% we recommend in our dynamic vs static load guide. For intensive rotation with full IBCs, prefer the CP6 — or a custom reinforced pallet sized for the real load.
For stacked bags (powders, granulates, polymers, fertiliser chemistry), the key criterion is a tight, closely boarded deck, so the bags do not sag between the boards under stacking pressure.
Big bags (~1 m³ of granulates, powders or aggregates) concentrate up to 1.5 tonnes on one pallet — they need the reinforced end of the CP range:
Octagonal bulk containers sit naturally on the square 1140×1140 mm format: CP3 (skids) for standard weights, CP9 (reinforced perimeter base, 6,000 kg static) for heavy octabins and intensive stacking — a common configuration in polymer flows shipped by container.
For chemical products in 1-25 L containers grouped in cartons:
| Packaging | Recommended model | Footprint | Construction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drums 200 L — road | CP1 | 1000×1200 mm | Skids |
| Drums 200 L — warehouse stacking | CP6 | 1200×1000 mm | Perimeter base |
| Drums / octabins — sea container | CP3 | 1140×1140 mm | Skids |
| IBC 1000 L | CP1 / CP6 | 1000×1200 / 1200×1000 mm | Skids / perimeter base |
| Bags 25-50 kg standard | CP1 | 1000×1200 mm | Skids |
| Bags — large patterns | CP4 / CP7 | 1100×1300 mm | Skids / perimeter base |
| Big bags (FIBC), discharge on pallet | CP8 | 1140×1140 mm | Perimeter base + central hole |
| Big bags 1-1.5 t | CP9 | 1140×1140 mm | Reinforced perimeter base |
| Heavy octabins | CP9 | 1140×1140 mm | Reinforced perimeter base |
| Cartons — Euro footprint | CP2 | 800×1200 mm | Skids |
| Cartons — container optimisation | CP5 | 760×1140 mm | Skids |
| Atypical packaging | Custom build | Per need | Per specification |
🎯 DirectPAL tip: if you mix several packagings (drums + bags + cans), standardise on the CP1 — its 1000×1200 mm footprint and versatile deck make it the all-rounder of the range, and the best-selling CP model in Europe. If your flows leave Europe in sea containers, standardise instead on the 1140×1140 family (CP3/CP8/CP9): two pallets side by side = 2,280 mm, almost the full internal width of an ISO container. The full container logic is in our guide CP pallets: which model?
Chemical flows leaving the European Union — including containerised exports through Antwerp, Rotterdam or Le Havre — require ISPM 15 treated wooden pallets (heat treatment at 56 °C for 30 minutes, IPPC marking). Treatment is available on request for all 9 CP models. Check the destination in our ISPM 15 country list and the full rules in the ISPM 15 guide.
Other industries specify CP pallets for the same reasons — robustness, standardisation, clean handling:
For a case not covered here, our guide CP pallets: which model (CP1 to CP9)? details each model with its exact dimensions and typical use — or ask us directly.
4 drums in a 2×2 layout: CP1 (1000×1200, skids) for road flows, CP6 (perimeter base) when stacking, CP3/CP9 (1140×1140) for sea containers.
The IBC footprint (1200×1000 mm) matches the CP1 and CP6. A full IBC weighs 1,000-1,200 kg — within the 1,500 kg dynamic rating, but with a thin margin: prefer the CP6 for repeated full-weight handling, or a custom reinforced pallet.
CP1 as the standard, CP4/CP7 for bulky patterns, CP2 on the Euro footprint. The closely boarded deck keeps stacked bags from sagging between the boards.
CP8 — its central hole allows discharge on the pallet and its reinforced rating (2,000 kg dynamic / 6,000 kg static) carries filled FIBCs. CP9 when no discharge hole is needed.
📦 Delivery by full truckload from 300 pallets — below that, pickup at one of our 3 depots in the Paris region, France. Lead times by destination are on our European delivery page. Intra-EU supply: invoice without VAT with your valid EU VAT number (reverse charge, Art. 138 of Directive 2006/112/EC).
DirectPAL supplies all 9 CP models, new or reconditioned, ISPM 15 treatment on request, delivered by full truckload across Europe from our depots in the Paris region. Tell us what you ship — we confirm the right model with your quote, in English or French. Request a CP pallet quote →
Full tables for the 9 models: dimensions, weights, load ratings, correspondences.
The selection logic of the CP range — by packaging, stacking and container constraint.
The three load ratings of every pallet, safety margins, load table by model.