News
Pallet and packaging industry News
17 Jan 2012
Wooden boxes, cases and crates – new from BSI. This new edition of BS 1133 Section 8, provides guidance for manufacturers, users and specifiers of wooden boxes, cases and crates for industrial, defence and other commercial applications.
The new December 2011 edition of BS 1133 Section 8 (available from the BSI online shop from January 2012) contains new wood packaging developments that have taken place over the last 20 years, most of which are not included in BS's EN's or ISO's because of their emphasis on testing. The new document is 120 pages long and includes for example - strength comparisons between different size ring nails, new wood species like French maritime pine, how to make up long strong case bases from splicing shorter timber lengths and how to minimise damage from water vapour under plastic coverings.
Pallet and agricultural box makers too will also find it a worthwhile buy as the new standard covers comparitive wood breaking strengths of all the pallet wood species used and commercial man-made wood sheet and block materials in a readable and authoritative manner. There is no equivalent in any European country. PalletLink and TIMCON were the major contributors to this document.
10 August 2011
China agrees EU interpretation of ISPM15 compliant packaging
At the end of June members of the UKWPMMP (wood packaging marking scheme) were alerted to the fact that AQSIQ (Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (People’s Republic of China)) inspectors were intercepting consignments from Europe because articles of wood packaging material were marked with ISPM15 marks that did not relate to the country of re-export. The example given involved a German 'DE' marked pallet which had been air-freighted to China from Austria (AT) and therefore it was deemed to be non-compliant.
The issue was raised by the EU as a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) matter with the Chinese Authorities as one in which their approach did not reflect the guidance provided in ISPM15 regarding the re-use of wood packaging material and now the European Commission has advised that the matter has been resolved and AQSIQ representatives have provided the following statement -
"Wood packaging material
AQSIQ agrees with the EU interpretation of ISPM 15, they will issue a notice to CIQs to clarify that wood packaging material ISPM compliant can be accepted even if its origin is not from the country of expedition. EU should signal problems if they remain."
UK exporters are therefore asked to note that the problem has been resolved but that they should continue to report any instances where barriers to export of compliant ISPM15 wood packaging material remain in China.
8 June 2011
The new BS EN ISO 8611 Pallet Testing, Parts 1, 2 and 3 were finally published on 7 June 2011, there are 55 pages in this complex new standard. The scope of the new standard covers timber, plastic, steel and paper pallets.
29 Dec 2010
Damage to kiln plant. Freezing temperatures are causing damage to kiln drying plant and a new DataSheet has been produced, enter 75f in Quick Search to view this.
1 March 2010
Wood Packaging Material Treated with Methyl Bromide. The UK Forestry Commission Plant Health Service has received a number of queries from forwarding agents and others who are concerned that it will not be possible to import goods on wooden packaging material which has been treated with methyl bromide under ISPM 15 requirements after 18 March ie the date on which the storage and use by any persons of the fumigant gas will cease in the UK in accordance with the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 and the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 Notice of Revocation Numbers 2360, 2361 and 2362.
Freight forwarders etc have become confused over this issue because of draft EU Regulations on substances that deplete the ozone layer ie Co-Decision (COD): COD/2008/0165) as they think that this draft legislation intends to prohibit the use of wood packaging material treated with methyl bromide.
The Forestry Commission are pleased to be able to clarify that it is not the intention of the draft EU regulations to prohibit the continued use of wood packaging material which has been treated with methyl bromide. The intention of the EU regulations is to prohibit the movement of products which contain banned substances (ozone depletents) and which rely on that presence to function eg certain refrigerated appliances.
Wood packaging material does not rely on methyl bromide to function. Any residues dissipate very quickly after fumigation, and indeed the wood packaging material cannot be released from the fumigation chamber until residues are down to prescribed levels (5 ppm), and they very quickly fall to zero after that.
Thus wood packaging material treated with methyl bromide is therefore not caught up in the draft Co-Decision (COD): COD/2008/0165) and may continue to be used and re-used without let or hindrance.
It should be noted, however, that fumigation services in the UK will cease to be able to use methyl bromide within the requirements of the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme (UKWPMMP) with effect from Friday 19th March 2010 and no further fumigation treatments, for ISPM15 compliance purposes, will be permitted within the Programme on or after this date.
UKWPMMP participants that have methyl bromide treated timber material or manufactured articles of wood packaging material in stock after the UK fumigant withdrawal date will, however, be permitted to use up these stocks and mark the products with the treatment code ‘MB’ accordingly. (Forestry Commission update 1 March 2010)
10 December 2009
New versions of EN ISO/DIS 8611 Parts 1, 2 and 3 were issued for worldwide national ballot on 26 November 2009. This is the culmination of technical committee work since issue of the previous 2007 version of the draft ISO load tests which when applied caused widespread unwarranted failures in major pool, exchange and white pallets. PalletLink raised the issue of failures in Autumn 2006. PalletLink have yet to review the new documents fully but our exploratory testing has already shown that many of these problems have been solved by the technical committee WG2 under the new Korean Convener. Comments can be made to National Standards bodies or to PalletLink who chair the UK BSI pallet committee. Voting terminates on 26 January 2010.
7 December 2009
Portugal: With effect from 1 January 2010, ALL wood packaging material, regardless of age or origin, leaving Portugal for any destination will be required to be treated and stamped in accordance with ISPM 15. Currently, only WPM of Portuguese manufacture must meet ISPM 15. UK Exporters of goods to Portugal are strongly recommended to use ISPM 15 compliant wood packaging material to enable its subsequent re-use. This will ultimately help combat the risk from PWN spreading and keep costs to business down.
9 July 2009
Despite measures having been in place for some time, the Pinewood Nematode (PWN) has been detected in WPM (wood packing material) from
Some of these further measures by the EU to counter the spread of the pinewood nematode from
Until recently, under EU law, for wood pallets and packaging moved between EU countries, the only phytosanitary requirement was the absence of bark, wane and visible pests. Ultimately it is expected that implementation of ISPM 15 will be required between all EU countries. In preparation for January 2010
16th January 2009
New Datasheet - The full impact of the REACH chemical regulations is being felt by the wood packaging industry since REACH came fully into force on 1 Jan 2009. Wood packaging customers are asking whether wood packaging manufacturers meet the requirements. Members having difficulties answering customers technical questions should e-mail PalletLink. In addition to this for general information we have revised our REACH Datasheet 84i which is now on this site, to download enter 84i into Quicksearch.
1 December 2008
The new EU legislation that has come into force (REACH) on chemicals used in wood pallets and packaging, generated a new PalletLink Datasheet some months ago. This outlined the actions wood pallet and packaging companies are required to take. Since then it has become apparent that different countries in the EU put different interpretations on this and our revision cannot yet be produced. To view or download the existing Datasheet enter 84i into Quick Search.
5 February 2008
Continuing a long association now in its seventh year the National Association of Pallet Distributors (NAPD) has renewed full PalletLink membership and website access for their members. The NAPD specialises in recycling, repair and reconditioning of pallets and was a main contributor to BS EN ISO 18613: 2003: Pallets for materials handling - repair of flat wooden pallets
25 January 2008
PalletLink is delighted to announce that the Timber Packaging and Pallet Confederation (TIMCON), has established an arrangement whereby its full members now also have full membership of PalletLink and can access the full website and extensive specialist technical support facilities available from PalletLink, in addition to those already on offer from TIMCON itself. The diversity of products and services available from TIMCON has expanded dramatically in recent years and when allied with PalletLink technical expertise will give TIMCON members a unique package.
John Dye, President of TIMCON, is delighted by the development and comments: "This initiative is one of the most important in our Confederation's history. By arranging members’ access to the exceptional specialist services offered by PalletLink, we are further strengthening our ability to justifiably claim a World Class package for our members".