BIG Interview: Tosca's Laurent Le Mercier on why a pallet is anything but a commodity

Pallets are often viewed as commodities, but Tosca believes thoughtful design can create value throughout the supply chain.

For Tosca, the difference lies in the details that fresh produce operators deal with every day: handling, stacking, transport damage and keeping equipment in circulation for longer.

At Fruit Attraction 2026, Tosca presented its new Circular Pallet CP1208, developed with Cabka. Fructidor spoke with Laurent Le Mercier, EMEA President at Tosca, about the thinking behind the new pallet, the practical advantages of reusable transport packaging and the company's growing range of solutions for fresh produce.

Fructidor: Four years of development for a pallet. What makes this one different?

Laurent Le Mercier: A lot of people consider pallets to be a commodity. We took a different approach by showing that a pallet is not a commodity at all. It can contain a lot of value.

That's why we use the words "Better. Safer. Stronger. Circular." That's really what the whole presentation is about. The CP1208 was designed specifically to address common challenges associated with traditional transport pallets, including handling efficiency, pallet damage, asset longevity and ease of use across multiple supply chain touchpoints.

Every design feature has been evaluated not just from a manufacturing perspective, but from the viewpoint of the people who move, stack, store and transport pallets every day.

For example, when you lift the pallet, you immediately notice the difference. It's lighter, but we've also paid particular attention to where the handles are placed. Their positioning makes handling much easier.

We've put a lot of thought into stackability, durability and repairability. The idea from the beginning was to have a product that could be introduced seamlessly into any supply chain in Europe.

I think we've achieved that, and that's why we're very proud of what we've done with Cabka.

Fructidor: Tosca operates across the EMEA region. How broad is your offering for the fresh produce industry?

Laurent Le Mercier: We are a fast-growing company, and as you can see, we have a broad portfolio of reusable assets. We have crates, bulk containers and pallets.

We rent them, we can pool them and we can sell them. So we have three different business models, and this flexibility allows customers to choose the model that best fits their operational requirements.

Looking at the products here, for example, you can use our crates for potatoes, onions or watermelons.

We also have crates with what we call a wood-look effect. They give a farmers' market appearance, which is useful for the presentation of fresh products in retail environments.

We also offer crates for other uses, including those designed to hold bags of potatoes. The aim is to provide purpose-built solutions for different product categories, helping customers improve both operational efficiency and product presentation.

Fructidor: What role does crate design play in product handling and protection?

Laurent Le Mercier: We have a lot of success with our product range because it is so versatile.

For example, one of the advantages of our crystal-clear crates is that they have doors that can be opened, making it easier for customers to access the products.

The doors also help protect the contents during transport, keeping products secure as they move through the supply chain. These types of design features can help reduce damage and improve product quality on arrival.

These are the kinds of practical details that make a difference in how products are handled and transported.

Looking to make your fresh produce supply chain more efficient? Contact us to explore reusable packaging solutions tailored to your business.