Pallets must be treated to meet ISPM-15 (International Phytosanitary Measure) standards, which says that wood used to ship products internationally must be treated to prevent the spread of disease and bugs from country to country. Below, we’ve included the most common types of treated wood pallets.
Pallets designated for international shipment must be treated to meet ISPM-15 (International Phytosanitary Measure) standards, which says that wood used to ship products internationally must be treated to prevent the spread of wood boring insects from country to country. Below, we’ve included the most common types of pallet treatment.
New wood pallets are often made from lumber milled from recently harvested logs. Many pallets are manufactured from green lumber, or wood that has not underwent any sort of drying process. Alternatively, green lumber can either be air-dried or placed into a kiln to dry (kiln-dried).
Kiln-drying will quickly reduce the moisture in the wood to prevent warping and reduce weight. It’s important to note that a kiln-dried wood pallet will not meet ISPM-15 standards and must still undergo heat treatment if used for international shipping.
Once a pallet has been treated, a certification label (shown below) will be stamped onto the side of the pallet. If the pallet has been repaired with untreated wood, the entire pallet should be retreated and then restamped.
The stamp should include the appropriate treatment code to indicate how the treated pallet has been handled. See the infographic below from 1001 Pallets for a complete breakdown of the different treatment codes.
For more information about what goes into the process of treated pallets, call First Alliance Logistics Management today.