Our Top 3 Blogs You May Have Recently Missed

Since we began trading in 1913, our company – Nicklin, has grown to become one of the UK’s established providers of bespoke timber and transit packaging.  We have a range of products which we supply including: bespoke pallets, timber cases, timber crates, plywood cases, timber components and corrugated cases. 

Most recently we have been talking about timber pallets, and the benefits of transit packaging on our blog.  However, as we understand how busy our customers may be, we have given you the chance to catch up with our Top 3 Blogs you may have recently missed.

1.       A 5-Step Guide To Managing the Use of Pallets – here we discussed how our customers can manage their pallets safely, to avoid any injuries and to prevent any breakages occurring to the timber packaging itself. Find out more about our timber packaging and wooden pallets

2.       The Main Benefits of Returnable Transit Packaging – discover how transit packaging could be a cost effective way of sending products to your customers, in an environmentally friendly way. Using returnable transit packaging is a great advantage for any business as it can be used time and time again.

3.       How Innovative Packaging Designs Are Helping To Reduce Waste – We tell you how making the most out of various product designs for your packaging, could have a positive effect on your target market. This has so far proven to work for many businesses who often try to meet the demands of the public, and this is something you could try too.

We aim to provide all of our customer’s with safe, cost effective and environmentally friendly products.  

To find out more about how you can make the most of our timber pallets and products, you can visit our website at nicklin.com.

The Merits of Reconditioned Pallets

Changes in recent decades have meant that the timber industry has begun to make an impressive contribution to the production of more sustainable timber products. There is no doubt that reputable companies now ensure that the timber they use for timber-based products comes only from sustainable forestry. This is obviously a step in the right direction after years of ignorance and lack of care for the environment, but there are additional ways that your company can make sure that the timber products they use, such as pallets, make a minimal impact on the environment. One key way of doing this is to make sure yourexisting pallets are reused wherever possible or that you buy reconditioned pallets.

Throughout the UK, 90% of all new pallets are still made from timber despite the introduction of plastic pallets. Usually this timber comes from the “unwanted” parts, the parts that are not used for furniture making or building materials.

The average lifespan of a wooden pallet is between 5 and 7 years. Once a pallet is damaged there are a number of options available to ensure it is fully utilised:

· recondition it

· use it as a fuel source

· shred it into useful wood chips

· make another use for it (such as garden furniture)

So how is a pallet reconditioned?

Reconditioning or repairing a pallet is relatively simple and can be completed by an individual with the right tools. However, with the sheer scale of repair required by some companies it may make sense to contract out this work to a specialist, who can do larger numbers of repairs more speedily and more effectively.

Larger companies have machines that will disassemble pallets so that all the reusable components can be used to make new pallets, or repair damaged pallets and all the pieces that are in disrepair can be made into wood chip or fibre. The types of machines used vary from cutting wheels and discs, to band saw cutters, to hydraulic equipment. It can be quite a sophisticated operation.

By the time pallets have been produced from their predecessors and are ready to go back to their owners, or be sold on, they are as good as new. One of the benefits of buying reconditioned pallets however is that they are cheaper to produce than new ones. It is estimated that they cost between 30% and 60% of a new pallet and as such are  an appealing option.

If you want to know more about the process for repairing pallets, or you are looking to purchase reconditioned pallets then visit  Nicklin to discuss your pallet needs.

Why Are ISPM 15 Standards So Important For International Trade?

By law, all timber transit packaging must be compliant with ISPM 15 in order to be shipped internationally. ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures for Wood Packaging) are the globally recognised standards for the treatment of all solid wood packaging materials. In order to be ISPM15 compliant, wood packaging must be heat treated. This means that wood is heated to a minimum temperature of 56 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes.

Roughly 95% of all international deliveries are made using some form of solid wood transit packaging, whether it be timber pallets, timber packing cases or timber crates. However, the international timber trade greatly increases the risk for the transfer of foreign pests or even wood diseases from one country to another if unprocessed. Understandably, this could have the potential to have terrible effects on native timber, as well as affecting a country’s ecosystem. In some cases, insects carried in timber packaging could even cause illness to humans.

ISPM 15 compliant heat treating is therefore essential to prevent the dangerous spread of pests and disease. By heat treating wooden packaging solutions, insects, bacteria, disease and other threats to ecosystems can be killed off, leaving wooden packaging safe to be transported. An ISPM 15 mark allows packages to be traced, and verifies that the wood used is free from any infestation.

At Nicklin, you can be sure that our wooden packaging solutions comply with international standards, as not only are our products marked as ISPM 15 compliant, you can trust that all timber is correctly heat treated as we have the facilities to do this on site. We have a specialist heat treating kiln on site, allowing us to take complete control of the ISPM 15 heat treating process of all of our timber pallets, cases and crates. Our customers can be confident that everything in our power is done to prevent the spread of pests and disease through global shipping.

If you are unsure about which countries outside of the European Union require timber transit packaging to be ISPM 15 compliant, you can view our global guide for more information.