The Benefits of Heat Treated Pallets
23 Dec 2015
When you’re choosing a pallet manufactured from wood, it’s vital that you understand the benefits of using heat treated pallets. Heat treatment is essential in order to comply with ISPM15 requirements, which prevent the transfer of pesticides and infestation during the exportation process. However, there are also other advantages to using wooden pallets that have been heattreated, including enhanced sterilisation, durability and weather resistance. At Associated Pallets, we can supply heattreated pallets, and we also offer heattreatment services for your wooden packaging.
How Are Pallets Heat-Treated?
In order for the heattreatment process to be efficient, it needs to be carried out correctly. The timber that is being used must first be debarked, as just the core is required for pallet production. The wood must then reach a temperature of at least 56 C or 132.8 F. Heating the wood to this temperature will remove a large amount of the moisture, which would otherwise result in the pallet rotting. The heattreatment process also increases the weather resistance of the pallet. When the pallet has been correctly treated and dried, it will be marked with the ISPM stamp as well as the country of origin.
Benefits of Heat Treatment
The International Phytosanitary Standard for Wood Packaging, otherwise known as ISPM15, requires that all wooden forms of packaging, including pallets, are heattreated before they’re used for shipping. The standard has been adopted by all the members of the European Union and 14 other countries globally, but it does not apply to plastic pallets. The main reason for this requirement is to minimise the risk of infestation. The spread of insects and other pests from overseas can have a significant impact on the local environment. Insect contamination can even result in illnesses for those who handle the pallets. Increasing sterilisation levels is another benefit of heat treating wooden pallets. Plastic pallets are easier to clean thoroughly between uses than wooden ones are. A wood pallet is at increased risk of developing bacteria and mould, especially if it is not stored correctly, due to the levels of moisture in it. However, pallets that have been heattreated will have had some of this removed, decreasing the risk of bacteria and mould developing.
Purchasing Heat-Treated Pallets
At Associated Pallets we can make it easy for you to stay within the ISPM15 guidelines. We can supply a range of heattreated wooden packaging, including pallets, crates and pallet collars. All our packaging products come with a certificate to prove they have been heattreated correctly, company registration document and details of the process, so you can have peace of mind about your purchase. We also offer heattreatment services for any size of shipment to ensure that all your packaging meets the necessary standards