One beetle's North American tour that isn't welcome
Try to export goods using wood packaging materials (WPM), that are not HT ISPM 15 compliant, and the repercussions will prove costly in terms of fines and delayed or even returned shipments. But if you're under the impression that HT ISPM 15 certification is either a make-work or make-money project, there are other costs you should consider. These are the costs associated with the infestation of ash trees by the Emerald ash borer (EAB)-a perfect example of what HT ISPM 15 has been created to combat.
Environmental Disaster
Since EAB hitched it's way to North America from Asia at the turn of the millennium-likely stowed away in wooden pallets or wooden crates, the pest has been responsible for the death of around 60 million ash trees in the United States alone. There is currently no treatment for infected trees and few effective measures for stopping the spread of the infestation. This means that all 16 species of ash in North America-over seven billion trees-are at the mercy of EAB.
Economic Repercussions
Dealing with EAB is an expensive business. Kitchener, Ont., is to spend close to five million dollars over the next ten years in trying to protect its ash trees. Burlington, VT, has budgeted ten million dollars over the same timeframe. And in Toronto, where over 80% of the city's 860,000 ash trees are predicted to die by the end of 2017, $1.2 million dollars is being spent this year alone. With ash being a staple product for flooring, furniture hockey sticks, baseball bats and tool handles, the demise of the tree in North America will cost the economy billions more.
According to Michigan State entomologist Deb McCullough, EAB is: "The most destructive forest insect ever to invade North America."
HT ISPM 15 is a sanitary treatment that ensures EAB and other pests are eradicated from wood pallets and other WPM. The treatment involves heating pallets and WPM to a core temperature of 56 C for a period of not less than 30 minutes.
As the first company in North America to heat treat assembled pallets, LCN is an industry leader in the construction, sanitation and delivery of wood pallets and crates. Contact LCN today for all your wood-packaging requirements.