News - Tagged: ISPM 15 Compliant Pallets
Presswood versus Plastic Pallets
One popular misconception in the logistics world is that plastic pallets are inherently superior to wooden alternatives thanks to their (optional) nestable design and resistance to edge impact and infestation. Their manufacture does not result in deforestation, and at the end of their useful life, plastic pallets can be converted to re-grind and used to manufacture new items. For these reasons, some logistics managers view their plastic pallet use as the ultimate nod to environmental sustainability. Many of these claims seem valid when comparing plastic pallets to conventional, slatted wooden pallets. But, the picture becomes murkier when presswood pallets enter the equation.Continue Reading…
Clarifying IPPC- ISPM 15 Standards for Recycled Pallets
The ISPM-15 standard is designed to prevent the spread of insects and disease via overseas wood packaging materials such as crates, dunnage, and pallets. The ISPM 15 logo stamp certifies that a wooden pallet has been manufactured using debarked lumber and heat treated or fumigated, making it free of insects and safe for export use. Although the ISPM 15 standard for new pallets is quite unambiguous, the same cannot be said of recycled pallets. Because recycled pallets constitute a significant component of the available pool, the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) recently sought clarification from American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) to eliminate discrepancies in how various ISPM-15 certification agencies view recycled pallets.Continue Reading…
Pharmaceutical, Food Companies Find Presswood Pallet Ideal For BP-Free Transit Packaging
The use of BP-free export pallets is particularly important to ensure product safety in the food, produce, and pharmaceutical industries.
Although banned in the U.S., many of the materials used by overseas pallet manufacturers to prevent mold, insect infestations, and fire hazards, including Brominated phenols (TBP), trichlorophenol (TCP) and methyl phenols (MP), can impart strong odors that result in product contamination. The toxicity of these materials poses significant public health and environmental safety concerns.
Leading pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott and Alcon Laboratories, are now partnering with Litco to meet their BP-free transit packaging pallet requirements. Litco’s solution, the Inca presswood pallet, is certified to be free of these harmful chemicals.Continue Reading…
Lean and Green Export Ready Pallets Are Perfect Fit For Lincoln Electric
By partnering with Litco International, Lincoln Electric is meeting European export requirements, streamlining its pallet inventory, and receiving an added sustainability benefit too. “In the past, our shipments to Europe were sometimes held up for inspection,” says Tom Soster, manufacturing engineering manager for Cleveland-based manufacturer of arc welding machines and consummables. “Now, the presswood pallets flow right through.”
Lincoln began investigating presswood export pallets several years ago as part of a cost reduction program. At the time, the manufacturer was purchasing construction-grade pine and fabricating export pallets in-house. In addition to maintaining an inventory of nine different sizes that took up valuable dock space, the pallets had to be bark free and manufactured from heat-treated lumber to meet European regulations for export pallets.Continue Reading…
INCOTERMS®: Staying on Top of Exporting Terminology
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) annually publishes a revised version to its International Commercial Terms, also known as INCOTERMS®, that take effect on January 1 of a given year. INCOTERMS are a set of three-letter standard trade terms most commonly used in international contracts for the sale of goods. First published in 1936, INCOTERMS provide internationally accepted definitions and rules of interpretation for most common commercial terms. In the US, INCOTERMS are increasingly used in domestic sales contracts rather than UCC shipment and delivery terms. Perhaps the most frequently cited – FOB – FREE ON BOARD (… named port of shipment) defines that: The Seller delivers the goods on board the ship and clears the goods for export. From that point, the Buyer bears all costs and risks of loss or damage.
ISPM 15 Pallets
ISPM-15 is an international standard that regulates wood and wood packaging, requiring the treatment of wood pallets, crates, and dunnage to prevent the international spread of disease and insects. Typically, ISPM 15 Pallets are heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide, a chemical that can be potentially harmful to the environment.Continue Reading…