S.P.S were the first North East packaging company to gain forestry commission accreditation to supply timber packaging to the latest international guidelines.
Regulations were imposed initially by Australia and China intended to preserve their indigenous plant life. These restrictions were soon taken up by other countries importing timber that may carry a threat of contamination from pests and parasites, particularly the Citrus Longhorn Beetle.
To ensure timber is pest free, it must be heat treated for a minimum of 30 minutes at a temperature of 56 degrees Celsius, alternatively the timber can currently be treated with a less environmentally friendly process using Methyl Bromide.
To protect our customers from unforeseen problems when exporting outside the EU, S.P.S took the decision only to use heat treated timber regardless of destination, particularly as more countries join the ISPM-15 program and the enforcement of these restrictions is becoming far more rigorous.
All timber packaging satisfying the above requirements must be clearly marked with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo and carry a unique identification number assigned by the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO). Without these markings it is becoming more common to see countries currently imposing these restrictions, simply returning the untreated cargo back to the exporter at the offenders cost.
