Almost 95% of all deliveries
made in the global distribution industry are packaged with one form of timber
or another; from wooden pallets to packing cases, crates to dunnage. But until
recently this wood was not subject to any international standards. This often
resulted in environmental damage, as pests were spread from country to country,
and ecosystem to ecosystem.
In a globalised world, with countries trading across borders like never before, this risk to the environment has grown at an exponential rate. So the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) introduced an international protocol known as the 'International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Number 15', or 'ISPM 15' for short. This had two major benefits; it helped to protect the environment of every country that signed up, and it gave a safe and reliable standard for businesses in the timber transit packaging industry to adhere to.
ISPM 15 standards
In a globalised world, with countries trading across borders like never before, this risk to the environment has grown at an exponential rate. So the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) introduced an international protocol known as the 'International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Number 15', or 'ISPM 15' for short. This had two major benefits; it helped to protect the environment of every country that signed up, and it gave a safe and reliable standard for businesses in the timber transit packaging industry to adhere to.
ISPM 15 standards
IPSM
15 standards apply to all forms of solid wood, "including pallets,
dunnage, crating, packing blocks, drums, cases, load boards, pallet collars and
skids". They require that this wood is treated, either by heating it to a
core temperature of 56 degrees Celsius for thirty minutes, or by fumigating it
with methyl bromide. Since fumigation can have negative effects on the
atmosphere, and is being phased out by the 'Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Decrease the Ozone Layer', heating is the treatment that is most commonly
used.Pest control
The main benefit of following the ISPM 15 regulations for timber transit packaging firms is that it allows them to operate in an environmentally responsible manner.
This was not always the case; it was only in the 1980s and 90s that real research into the subject got underway. A growing fear that pests could spread via wooden packaging was confirmed by research conducted in 1997, which found that out of fifty wooden spools shipped from Asia to Canada, 24% contained wood-boring insects.
The true effect of insect migration is still be discovered, but there are many examples of instances where it has had a negative impact on forests and woodlands. Sirex woodwasp is thought to have found its way into Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in wooden packaging, and the red turpentine beetle is thought to have entered China’s pine forests in casings made from infested North American wood. Tree-killing insects such as the Asian long-horned beetle, emerald ash borer and brown spruce longhorn beetle, are currently attacking trees across North America, having arrived there in packing materials that were shipped from Asia.
Fortunately, the IPSM 15 regulations are putting an end to a spread of these pests. Packages could be rejected or even destroyed upon arrival at their destination, if they have been packed with non-compliant wood, and forests across the world set to benefit.
International standards
A secondary benefit for timber transit packing firms, is that the ISPM 15 is truly international. No longer will they have to comply with one set of regulations in one country, and a separate set of regulations in another. Firms operating out of countries with stringent safety protocols will not be made uncompetitive when competing with firms based in nations with fewer regulations.
The ISPM 15 regulations have been adopted from Argentina to Vietnam, and from Australia to Venezuela. In all, 77 countries had signed up to ISPM 15 by 2010, including 28 nations in the EU, and leading industrial nations such as Japan and the USA. Developing nations, which often do not have the infrastructure to enforce regulations, are also doing their best to come on board, and are likely to sign up over the course of the next decade.
ISPM 15 operates like a passport for timber packaging. Wood that is ISPM 15 compliant is stamped with a logo, which allows it to be traced, and verifies that the timber is free from infestation. This saves the need for tiresome and time consuming tests when importing packages, ensuring that transit firms can get on with what they do best; transporting vital packages across the world in a timely and safe fashion.
For more information on ISPM
15 wooden pallets, cases and crates, you can visit the Nicklin website.
