News

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. The PalletLink Newsletter raised the issue of failures in it's Autumn 2006 issue. 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 Portugal both on marked and unmarked wood packaging. This might have originated in Portugal and so further measures are due to be imposed.

Some of these further measures by the EU to counter the spread of the pinewood nematode from Portugal have been delayed. Originally it was intended that from 16 June 2009 all wood packaging material, regardless of age or origin, leaving Portugal for any destination would be required to be treated and stamped in accordance with ISPM 15. However, this unilateral requirement has now been delayed until 1 January 2010 though WPM of Portuguese manufacture must right now meet ISPM 15.  Until 1 January 2010 all member States, other than Portugal, are required to carry out import controls on conifer wood, bark and plants that originate from Portugal to ensure that it has been properly treated and by whom.  In the UK, Forestry Commission inspectors will be randomly checking commercial vehicles from Portugal as they disembark from ferries and will also be carrying out checks elsewhere, including premises of traders known to handle Portuguese goods. These inspections will not be chargeable.

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 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 overall keep costs to business down. Details on web-page ISPM 15 Phytosanitary on this website, see Datasheet 85.g

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.