We have some excellent news to share with you all, we’ve recently renewed and received our ISO certification. This is a very positive update and is further proof that you can rely on Associated Pallets to meet the very highest standards. The two certificates we’ve received are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and they’re valid for the next three years.
What Is An ISO Certification?
Before we start popping the champagne corks though, we should probably explain what these two certificates are and who gave them to us. ISO is the International Organization for Standardization and they’ve been operating for over 75 years. They’re based out of Geneva and officially came into being in 1947 when delegates from 25 different countries met to discuss the future of standardisation while the world rebuilt itself in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Because they were a multilingual organisation, they soon realised that they would have different acronyms across the globe. Consequently, they chose the short form ‘ISO’ as a derivation of the Greek word “isos,” which means equal. They were determined that no single country would dominate the running of the organisation and soon adopted the motto of “friendship among equals,” so ISO was a very apt name. Even though they’re known as the International Organization for Standardisation (IOS) in the English-speaking world, and Organisation Internationale de Normalisation (OIN) in France, they’re universally known as ISO.
Since their early days, they’ve expanded and now have 167 members (each one representing a single country). They are an independent, non-governmental organisation and cover international standardisation in almost all areas of technical and non-technical fields (electronic engineering is one notable exception). They are a prestigious and well-respected voice and to receive certification from them is a sign of high standards and good working practices.
ISO 9001
The first of our two certifications is ISO 9001, a Quality Management System certification. There’s a fair bit of business jargon involved but in a nutshell, it means that Associated Pallets have a systematic approach to meet our customer’s needs and objectives. For customers, ISO 9001 is a sign that a business can be relied upon to provide consistent quality.
We’ve held this before but getting it renewed is not a simple box-ticking exercise. We put a lot of work into maintaining our standards, so it was extremely gratifying to get it again. It proves that our products are heat-treated to ISPM 15 standards and are safe to transport worldwide. We received the certification in August of this year and it remains valid until 2026, when we’ll have to apply again.
ISO 14001
At the same time, we also received our ISO 14001 certification. Like the 9001, we had held this before and were very pleased to get it successfully renewed. Unlike the 9001 though, this certification relates more to our wider impact on the world than on the individual customer.
ISO 14001 is an Environmental Management System and is there to ensure that we adhere to ecological standards. Climate change is a topical subject and growing increasingly important with every year that passes. We are keen to do our part and reduce our impact on the natural world, so receiving this was very important to us. We take sustainability very seriously, minimising waste and reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible.
Receiving this certificate is evidence that we meet the required standards, but if you’d like to know more, we can recommend visiting our recycling service page. We are determined to limit the number of pallets that get sent to landfills and have become experts at repairing and recycling. If wooden pallets are beyond repair, we break them down into their component parts and turn them into wood chips.
Ever since we first opened our doors, we’ve worked hard to establish a reputation for ourselves. When people talk about Associated Pallets, we want them to mention our reliability, our exceptional customer service and support, our track record for great products and our climate pledge. Receiving these certifications is a clear indication that we’re achieving our goals.
But just getting the certification isn’t the end. We are committed to not only maintaining our standards but improving them. Our expert staff have worked beyond the call of duty to get us here and we’re confident that when 2026 rolls around, we’ll get both accreditations once more.
You can view our ISO 9001 certificate at this location and our ISO 14001 here. We hope this article fully explains why we’re feeling proud, but if you have any questions, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.