Trading goods in wood packaging materials adds the risk of spreading pests between different countries and regions. In order to protect native forests, several countries have adapted protective regulations.
In order to prevent several different import regulations around the world, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat, has issued
ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures). The ISPM15 functions as a guideline for regulations concerning wood packaging material in international trade.
The ISPM 15 applies to wood materials of a thickness greater than 6mm, used to ship products between countries. It affects all wood packaging material (pallets, crates, dunnages, etc) requiring that they be treated with heat or fumigated with methyl bromide, or made from alternative material, like paper, plastic or manufactured wood products (e.g. plywood).
According to the ISPM 15 the approved measures for wood packaging material are the following;
- Heat Treatment (HT) – Wood packaging material should be heated in accordance with a specific-time temperature schedule that achieves a minimum wood core temperature of 56°C for at least 30 minutes. Kiln-drying (KD), chemical pressure impregnation (CPI), or other treatments may be considered HT treatments to the extent that these meet the HT specifications.
- Methyl Bromide (MT) – fumigation for wood packing material. The wood packing material should be fumigated with methyl bromide. The minimum temperature should be no less than 10°C and the minimum exposure time should be 24 hours. Monitoring of concentrations should be carried out at a minimum at 2, 4 and 24 hours.
Marking of Packaging
Wood packaging material
that has gone through approved measures must have a marking that shows the proven measures. The marking of the box must be legible and permanent. The marking must be visible and placed at two opposite sides of the package. The marking must include the;
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Symbol
-
ISO two letter country code followed by a unique number assigned by the NPPO to the producer of the wood packaging material, who is responsible for ensuring appropriate wood is used and properly marked.
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Treatment method, e.g. HT (Heat Treatment), MB (Methyl Bromide). Where debarking is required the letters DB should be added to the abbreviation of the approved measure.
A sample of the marking used at Nefab Production Runemo AB in Sweden is shown below;
SE
stands for Sweden
X647
is the certification number given to Nefab Production Runemo by the Swedish NPPO (Swedish Board of Agriculture).
HT KD
means Heat Treated achieved through Kiln Drying
DB
stands for that the wood is Debarked