Letter to the editor from TIMCON
August 17th 2009 Dear Sir
Re: Wood you agree? Handling & Storage Solutions Jul/Aug 2009
I was extremely concerned to read comments by Jim Hardisty, md of Goplasticpallets in the above article – and also on the company’s website.
To imply that every one of the wooden pallets in use in the UK must be heat-treated is at best mischievous; at worst it is deliberately misleading.
A significant proportion of timber pallets remain within UK supply chain. Only an estimated 15 per cent of current new pallet production is heat-treated for export outside the EU.
There will be a modest increase in heat-treated pallets for supply to Portugal in the near future as all timber pallets to be exported from Portugal must be ISPM 15 compliant from 1 January, 2010.
The Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON) has worked successfully with the European Commission to ensure the new regulations are implemented so as to not affect supply of high quality timber pallets. If and when there is a subsequent extension to ISPM 15, TIMCON will maintain its dialogue with the EC to ensure that trade flows are not disrupted.
Once again, the timber pallets and packaging industry is calling for an open debate about materials and is highlighting that timber remains the first choice material for pallets and packaging. It is economical, repairable, recyclable and environmentally friendly – which is why timber has more than 90 per cent of the pallet market.
This debate is particularly pertinent in the face of recent questions raised in the US and elsewhere about the fire risks posed by plastic pallets, and also concerns expressed as to whether plastics contain either deca bromine and/or cadmium, and if so, if these chemicals are threats to human health, if used in food supply chains, or to the environment.
This debate should be of immediate concern to your readers.
Yours sincerely,
Stuart Hex, TIMCON secretariat
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