A comprehensive guide to ISPM15 for wood pallets & packaging

In an age of global trade, strict regulations are needed to prevent serious pests and diseases from hitching a ride. At the same time, it is better both financially and environmentally to reuse rather than waste a lot of the packaging that carries and protects goods and materials in transit, especially wooden pallets.

"ISPM" stands for "International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures" and ISPM15 is the current version of those regulations, administered by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). IPPC is a division of the Food and Agriculture division of the UN. The regulations apply to international trade and it is important for British firms to realise that prior to Brexit, trade with the EU was not considered "international" but now it is. Many firms are already using ISPM-compliant Euro pallets in the UK but some are not. The regulations also apply to wooden crates, boxes, cable drums, spools and dunnage (but not to packaging made from plywood, particle board or plastic).

ISPM15 is not the only pallet hygiene standard used around the world (for example, there is a North American one) but it is the most widely recognised. Technically, there is no law preventing you from building your own pallets to deliver goods within the UK, but they will fall foul of customs if you attempt to send them abroad. Nor will you be able to use a "pallet pool" (see below).

Producing treated wooden pallets

ISPM15 requires debarking of the wood, followed by one of four sanitising treatments; conventional heat treatment, microwaving (dielectric) heating, kiln drying or chemical (methyl bromide) fumigation. Heat treatment is generally the easiest and safest method because chemicals can contaminate the goods.

You can't simply treat your own packaging materials and declare them ISPM compliant: you must be officially approved. Manufacturers have to be members of the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme (UKWPMMP) and registered with the Forestry Commission to apply ISPM15 markings. Most businesses, therefore, acquire pallets from professional pallet companies.

Heat treatment is performed with a carefully controlled kiln to apply a minimum wood core temperature of 56ºC and maintain it for 30 minutes (some countries apply even stricter rules because of specific known threats in their region). The microwave heating method requires a higher temperature of 60ºC. Once treated, pallets are deemed permanently safe so can be used repeatedly thereafter. However, if they are repaired, all new materials must also be treated and recertified.

Finally, they can be stamped with the IPPC logo - which resembles an ear of corn - and other details proving their ISPM15 compliance. You don't then need to show additional documentation to export them (although it is wise to retain documentation about their source).

Euro pallets in the UK

There are also standards for the way pallets are constructed and their physical dimensions. One of the most important is the Euro-pallet. Euro pallets (also called EPAL pallets) are used worldwide not just in Europe. An obvious advantage of standardising pallet sizes and quality is that you can then predict precisely how much each pallet can carry, how many you can load into a given lorry or container, and design warehouse shelving and lifting equipment to handle them.

By making pallets as near identical and interchangeable as possible, they also become eligible to participate in pallet pools such as the "European Pallet Pool" (EPP). The pool means that individual companies do not need to "own" specific wooden pallets - which would entail retrieving or abandoning them after every delivery. Instead, pooled Euro pallets in the UK can be used by a firm in Halifax to send their goods to Mumbai who can reuse them to ship goods to Frankfurt, and then a Frankfurt company can send them on to Glasgow - and so forth. The system helps everyone and minimises wasteful journeys and wasted timber.

Almost by definition, Euro pallets are compliant with ISPM15. For that and a host of other good reasons, they are the obvious choice for all British companies. Always use a trusted pallet provider who can provide you with a full choice of quality-controlled and graded standard pallet sizes.