ISPM15 Requirements


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All wood packaging material must be made of debarked wood. For this standard, any number of visually separate and clearly distinct small pieces of bark may remain if they are:

  • less than 3 cm in width (regardless of the length); or
  • greater than 3 cm in width, with the total surface area of an individual piece of bark less than 50 square cm

All new/repaired/remanufactured wood packaging material, including dunnage, must be heat treated. This should be in accordance with a specific time-temperature schedule that achieves a minimum temperature of 56°C for a minimum duration of 30 continuous minutes throughout the entire profile of the wood (including the core).

The ISPM15 mark

An ISPM15 mark consists of three codes (country, producer and approved measure), and the IPPC logo. An example of an ISPM15 mark is shown in Figure 1. More detailed information regarding the quality of marking required by the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme can be found on the Scheme Updates Page.

Figure 1 An example of an ISPM15 mark*.

  Two-digit ISO country code Hyphen (mandatory)  
IPPC Logo: this must be placed to the left of the other elements (but may be placed on its side for narrow faces).

Unique UKWPMMP registration number (the producer/treatment provider code): leading zeros do not need to be included: FC0001 can be abbreviated to FC001, FC01, FC1 as appropriate.
 
  Treatment code (HT for heat treatment): this must appear after the country code and registration number. It must appear on a separate line, or be separated by a hyphen if presented on the same line.
 

The ISPM15 mark may be rectangular or square in shape. It must be contained within a border with a vertical line separating the IPPC logo from the other components. For stencilling, small gaps in the border, the vertical line and elsewhere in the components
of the mark are allowed. Corners may be square or rounded. No other information is permitted within the border of the mark.
 

 

*At import, countries should accept previously produced wood packaging material carrying a mark consistent with earlier versions of the standard. Other examples of the mark are provided on the right of this page.


How to mark articles of wood packaging material:
  • Each article of wood packaging material shall be marked on two opposite vertical surfaces.
  • Marks shall be clearly visible when the article is in use.
  • Marks shall be legible.
  • Marks shall be permanent. The use of tags is not permitted, unless they are nontransferable (unable to be removed without being damaged).
  • Marks may be in any colour, but the use of red or orange is not recommended as these colours are reserved for dangerous and hazardous cargoes.
  • Branding and laser printing is more effective on rough sawn timber and composite pallet blocks and stencil and stamps are readily applied to smooth wooden surfaces.

Processed wood (e.g. plywood, chipboard) and wood less than 6 mm thickness is, generally, exempt from control but may be made subject to landing requirements in some countries. Where wood packaging material includes components made from processed wood, these need not be subject to any additional treatment. Thus the mark on a crate made from both processed and solid wood components, which have been heat treated, may include the treatment code letters ‘HT’. Where possible, the ISPM15 mark shall be applied to the solid wood element of the article of wood packaging material.

Repaired or re-manufactured ISPM15 WPM

In order to maintain chain of custody and accountability, repaired and re-manufactured ISPM15 compliant wood packaging material must be subject to re-treatment and all previous ISPM15 marks must be removed or obliterated and the product re-marked by a person authorised under the UKWPMMP. In exceptional circumstances the Forestry Commission may grant an exemption from re-treatment and re-marking. Companies may apply to the Forestry Commission for exemption but full traceability and rigorous control procedures must be evident before any application will be considered. All such exemptions must be approved in writing by the Forestry Commission.

Imported WPM that does not comply with ISPM15

Action taken is at the discretion of the Plant Protection Organisation of the importing country. Non-compliant wood packaging material may be re-exported (with or without the goods being shipped with it), destroyed, treated, subjected to deep burial or processing, e.g. chipping (depending upon the policy of the country of import), generally at the impo


   
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