09 February 2026
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is clear in its direction: re-use must become the default choice for packaging wherever possible. This is particularly true for transport packaging, where explicit re-use targets apply - including for packaging circulating within interconnected businesses and within country borders.
Under PPWR, transport packaging only qualifies as reusable when it operates within a defined reuse system. That requirement goes beyond physical durability. It demands traceability, accountability and demonstrable performance over time.
This is where closed pooling offers a fundamental advantage, creating a higher level of trust through structure, transparency and control. True re-use is not theoretical. It is proven over time.
In a closed pooling system, pallets circulate within a controlled loop, with a known owner, defined users and managed return flows, and consistent reporting on reuse effectiveness. Each pallet is designed for repeated use, actively recovered, inspected, repaired where needed and redeployed with intent. Re-use is not incidental. It is the purpose of the system.
At PRS, this model has been in place for more than 30 years and is tailored to the petrochemical industry. Closed pooling is not a newly adapted response to regulation. It is a proven reuse system with a long-standing track record in demanding industrial supply chains.
Purpose-built pallets require purpose-built systems
CP (chemical) pallets were developed in the early 1990s in close cooperation between the chemical industry and pallet manufacturers. The handling and safety requirements of drums, bagged goods, big bags and octabins demands dedicated pallet formats. This means that the design of these load carriers is created for the industry and by the industry. At PRS, our portfolio includes a defined range of pallet formats designed specifically for reuse within the petrochemical industry, reflecting these industry needs.
By design our pallets were never intended to operate as standalone products. They were designed as part of a managed reuse system, where specification, handling and lifecycle management are treated as one integrated solution. This system perspective is what ensures that pallet standards are maintained in use, not just defined on paper.
Circularity is not an outcome, it is a design choice
Circularity does not emerge automatically from scale or standardisation. It emerges when systems are deliberately designed to close the loop.
Closed pooling enables this by design:
- Pallets are actively returned, not passively exchanged
- Quality and performance are maintained across reuse cycles
- Actual reuse rates are controlled and maximised, not assumed
- Verifiable data supports PPWR reporting and audits
''PPWR is about intent as much as thresholds. It is designed to reward systems that genuinely reduce waste through reuse. Closed pooling aligns naturally with that intent because reuse is built into the operating model, not added on'' - Erin Quinn, Public & Political Affairs Coordination
Because ownership, responsibility and recovery are clearly defined, closed pooling delivers measurable circular performance, not estimates. This is critical under PPWR, where companies must demonstrate that reuse targets are being met in practice — not just in theory.
That longevity matters. PPWR explicitly requires reuse systems to be established, operational and demonstrable. What PRS delivers is true reusability — not theoretical reuse.
Trust is built through system certainty
Especially in chemical logistics, trust is earned through repeatable outcomes. In closed loop pallet pooling there is clear ownership, defined responsibilities and enforced standards which means customers know what enters their supply chain - every cycle, every trip. Closed pooling replaces uncertainty with system certainty.
''In chemical logistics, trust is built over decades, not declarations. Our closed pooling model has been operating as a reuse system for more than 30 years, which gives customers confidence that aligning with PPWR requirements is not a future promise - it's an established reality. ' - Rinus de Kok, Director of New Business
In contrast, with open circulation systems where multiple owners, uncontrolled exchanges and uneven repair practices inevitably lead to inconsistency over time. Over time, this uncertainty translates into operational risk.
Certainty is what allows logistics, operations and sustainability teams to rely on their pallet system as a stable foundation, not a variable. It is also why closed pooling has long supported automated environments, sensitive chemical applications and predictable operational performance.
The PRS pool is a circular system that has performed consistently over time. For us, true re-use is not theoretical or incidental. It is the purpose of the system.
Find more information on PPWR here.