When Do You Need Heat-Treated Pallets?
In Australia, and right around the world, wooden pallets are used for the transportation and storage of products. Wooden pallets make up a critical component of the global supply chain. There are many different types of wooden pallets, including heat-treated pallets.
Complying with international standards ensures the safe transport of your products when exporting. While there are a multitude of different international standards that must be met, one of them is the use of heat-treated pallets.
In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about heat-treated pallets in Australia.
What Are Heat-Treated Pallets?
With heat-treated pallets, a heat treatment process is initiated to sterilise wooden pallets. This process effectively removes the threat of pests, pathogens and any insects that could be present within the wood. These pests and more can damage the wooden pallet and therefore the produce they are carrying.
The process involves heating the pallets to a specific temperature and for a certain duration. We usually see the core temperature of the wooden pallets reach 56 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes. Not only does this eliminate the threat of pests, but it ensures the structural integrity of the wood is still intact.
When Are Heat-Treated Pallets Required?
There are several situations where heat-treated pallets are required, and the Australian Wood Packaging Certification Scheme (AWPCS) regulates this area. There is no getting around it; wood packaging materials (like wooden pallets) are required to be heat-treated or fumigated before shipping.
To Comply With International Standards
Compliance with international standards, such as the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 15) regulations is essential. When using heat-treated pallets, you are ensuring compliance with Australian and international regulations.
Compliance ensures a smoother customs clearance experience and limits delays or rejections when your products enter their destination country. On top of this, you can effectively build your reputation as a reputable company for future exporters.
For Pest Control
Pest control is another area where you need heat-treated pallets. As we touched on previously, heat-treated wooden pallets are used to eliminate the threat of pests and more. Pests like fungi, wood-boring insects and more could all be present in the wooden pallets, so eliminating them is essential.
These pests have the ability to cause damage to different ecosystems right around the world, and it could have a devastating impact on different industries, like the agricultural industry, for example. Use heat-treated wooden pallets to protect global trade and the ecosystem of importing countries.
For Quality Control
When looking for a company that provides heat-treated wooden pallets, quality control is very important. At the end of the day, if your pallets aren’t properly heat-treated, it is you and your business that will be impacted in a multitude of different ways.
The best wooden pallet providers will follow proper quality control measures through the entire heat treatment process. This allows for better consistency and reliability of their wooden pallets. The better the consistency, the less likelihood of damage to the products you are transporting.
To Decrease Shipping Costs
It may not be one of the more commonly known situations where you need heat-treated pallets, but it is important to remember that using these types of pallets can help decrease shipping costs. When the moisture is removed from your wooden pallets, it reduces the weight of the pallets.
The heavier the overall weight of your products, the more shipping costs you are likely to incur. When you decrease the overall weight by reducing the level of moisture, it should cost less for shipment. Over time, those savings can really add up, so if you’re looking for ways to improve your bottom line, this is certainly one to consider.
How Long Do Heat-Treated Pallets Last?
The heat treatment should last for the lifetime of the wooden pallet. We usually find that wooden pallets don’t need to be re-treated after a given amount of time. It is important to remember, though, that if any section of the wooden pallet is repaired or removed, it is usually no longer considered certified.
When repairing wooden pallets, they will need to go through the same certification process after they have been re-treated for heat. The process used to heat-treat wooden pallets includes debarking, treating and stamping.
Heat-treated pallets must be debarked, and there is a minimal amount required to meet qualification requirements. The ISPM 15 provides guidance on how much bark can be left on the wood of pallets to still qualify. Most insect eggs are found within the bark, which is why bark is removed from wooden pallets.
For the actual treating process, the ISPM 15 outlines a few methods available to properly treat wooden pallets. The heat-treated method is one of the most commonly used and is usually completed in a kiln or oven.
When the treating process is completed, wood pallets are inspected to ensure all ISPM 15 requirements have been met. If the wooden pallets are up to code, they are stamped with IPPC markings. IPPC markings are recognised right around the world, and next to the stamp will be a two-letter country code and the transport company’s registration number.
Heat-treated Pallets from Born Again Pallets
If you are sending products internationally, the use of heat-treated wooden pallets ensures you comply with international regulations. When you use heat-treated pallets, you are safeguarding other countries against pests and certain diseases.
You are also ensuring the safe transportation of your products and ensuring quality control, which will limit the chances of your products getting damaged during transportation. By removing the moisture in your wooden pallets, you also reduce the overall weight of your package and could end up reducing your shipping costs.
