Hybrid pallets save the environment. Experts from FME are also helping Flexipal with development.

This March, the Moravian company Flexipal opened a production line for so-called hybrid pallets in the village of Stanoviště. This is a variation on classic pallets, where wooden blocks have been replaced by hard plastic made from so-called plastic waste, which typically ends up in incinerators and landfills. The company wants to go even further in development and has enlisted the help of experts in machines and robots from BUT (Brno University of Technology).

The Czech Republic produces 200,000 tons of plastic waste annually. This is the least valuable plastic waste that previously had no use and was sent to incinerators. This is now changing with hybrid pallets, which combine wood and plastic blocks. In the first year, Flexipal plans to process 5,000 tons of waste into these pallets, which is equivalent to 250 trucks fully loaded with plastic waste – half of what Brno residents throw into yellow containers in a year.

"We got involved in this collaboration quite by chance. At first, we weren't very interested because we make machines, not pallets. But it soon became apparent that, from a technological standpoint, this is not an easy matter at all," recalls Professor Jiří Marek from the Institute of Production Machines, Systems and Robotics. The collaboration on hybrid pallets is only part of what Flexipal is currently working on with Jiří Marek and his colleagues.

The first task they agreed upon with the company was a robotized solution for the pallet repair line. The existing sorting line was not satisfactory for the company, and the repair itself is currently done manually by workers and is demanding physical labor. 'It turned out that a robot could do this job, and we also designed better and more efficient defect detection using machine vision for the sorting line,' says Marek, mentioning two development projects they are currently working on for the company. 'Our people are currently finishing a defect recognition system, and Flexipal is even considering offering this jointly developed technological solution for sale to other interested parties,' adds Marek.

For the current version of the hybrid pallet, experts from FME only served as consultants. The combination of wood and plastic blocks offers greater resistance to moisture and chemicals, longer lifespan, and a more environmentally friendly solution for logistics and storage. Free collection of pallets for subsequent full recycling is also ensured. However, since the company has further ambitious plans for the pallet, it utilizes the experience of VUT experts in developing another pallet that will be almost or entirely made from plastic waste.

'We are currently working on developing other parts of the pallet where wood could be replaced with plastic. Thus, prototypes of entire pallets are being created that have the potential to save a lot more wood and waste. It would be a beautiful circular economy,' says Marek, adding that a number of other technical issues will need to be resolved during development. 'We need to solve not only the shape of the part and the manufacturing method but also the machining tools because the material from waste is very hard and durable. There are so many challenges—it's a completely new thing,' Marek points out.

In Europe, approximately 500 million pallets are produced annually, of which less than half are returnable. The new hybrid pallet production line in the village of Stanoviště has a capacity of 500,000 hybrid pallets per year. 'Using plastic blocks saves 30 percent of wood. One ton of plastic waste corresponds to 3 cubic meters of raw wood. The annual operation of the first plant will thus save 15,000 cubic meters of raw wood per year, which is equivalent to a forest with an area of approximately 10 Wenceslas Squares or 71 football fields. Moreover, a hybrid pallet has at least twice the lifespan of a regular one, so the actual savings are even higher,' explains Tomáš Vojtěch, the owner of Flexipal, adding that within five years, the company wants to build another production line, increase production to several million pallets, and process up to 50,000 tons of waste annually.

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Published	2025-05-15
Link	https://www.vut.cz/en/sustainability/f163596/d290450