It’s great news for our pallet recovery service that we’ve secured an exemption to use pre-heat treated timbers, supplied from our registered ISPM15 compliant sawmills, for repairs to the pallets we recover – saving time and cost for our customers.
Due to Brexit, many pallet users have had to start using or increasing their ISPM15 compliant pallets. Indeed, several companies have already changed to 100% ISPM15 pallets, even though many are not intended for transit through Europe. Largely, this is due to lack of space for segregation, fear of the wrong pallets being used to ship products globally, and the consequential risk and issue of load rejection.
As a result, we are seeing an increase in the number of ISPM15 compliant pallets being recovered for reuse rather than recycled, (for example, chipped for animal bedding, manufacture of chipboard or for energy via biomass) before reaching their predicted end of lifecycle.
Cathy Morio, Senior Sales Manager – Recovery, said: “This is fantastic news for our pallet recovery customers, and we are already receiving their positive feedback. Not only does this exemption help us to reduce costs for customers, but it speeds up the process of returning certified repaired pallets back to customers for reuse.”
The approved Forestry Commission auditor said: “The pallet recovery site at Burton is really impressive. The environmental benefits of the work being done here are extraordinary and should be highlighted as an example of what can be achieved by reusing wooden pallets.”
Back in December 2020, Scott Pallets’ Bathgate site was also the first in the UK to secure approval to carry out repairs to EPAL licensed Euro pallets using pre heat-treated components.
If you need technical advice and support on the requirements for pallets destined for the EU, please visit www.scottgroupltd.com/contact/locations/ to find your local Scott Pallets adviser.
As of 1st January 2021, it has been a legal requirement for all wood packaging material moving in both directions between UK and the EU to be compliant with the treatment measures and marked as specified in the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM15).
There are serious consequences if EU suppliers do not use ISPM15 pallets for shipping goods, and these include fixed and variable monetary penalties ranging from £250 to £250,000. Full details can be found here: www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1089/introduction/made
