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Debate rages about pallets

A war of words has erupted between some of the leading figureheads in the British packaging world.

It all started when Jim Hardisty, MD of Sussex-based Go Plastic Pallets, suggested that businesses using wood packaging materials for shipping goods could be putting the health and safety of their workers “at serious risk, and causing untold damage to the UK economy.”

In response, Stuart Hex, general secretary of TIMCON (the timber packaging and pallet confederation), said: “These irresponsible comments are at best inaccurate; at worst they are deliberately designed to mislead. They are the latest in what appears to be an ongoing campaign of negative communications, created by the head of a single company that has a clear vested interest in causing damage to the wooden packaging and pallets business.”

Hardisty’s claims stem from an Amazon employee falling ill at one of the online giant’s depots – allegedly after handling packaging on goods imported to the UK.

GMB, the trade union for staff at Amazon, has said that the illness is possibly linked to insects carried in the packaging, and has called for the company to conduct a thorough, independent risk assessment of how the goods it imports from abroad are packaged.

Hardisty added: “Although all wood packaging used for transporting goods into the EU or out of Portugal (a known pinewood nematode area) must be heat treated in accordance with ISPM 15 regulations to kill off pests, it’s clear that insect invasions from abroad remain a very real threat to the UK economy.

“In May this year, the Ecological Society of America discovered the emerald ash borer in the wood packing material of goods imported into North America. This case surely strengthens the argument for enforcing stricter safety checks worldwide for verifying ISPM 15 compliancy and for extending ISPM 15 by making it compulsory to heat treat all wood pallets and crates moving within EU member states – something the European Commission is in the process of reviewing.

“Poor pallet hygiene however is a much bigger topic than insect contamination alone. Mould and bacteria are other common signs that pallets are being kept in unsanitary conditions which, when using plastic varieties, can be easily combated with regular cleaning, as plastic pallets are 100 per cent water resistant.”

But Hex countered: “The original statement made by GMB – and which Mr Hardisty is now referencing – was based on comments made by one worker at Amazon; these comments apparently remain unsubstantiated. GMB went on to cite a case of emerald ash borer in North America – which is an issue of great concern for the protection of forests; not, as they imply, harmful to human health and safety. There are in place significant international phytosanitary regulations to minimise the risk of pest infestation in packaging and these regulations are rigorously enforced in the UK by the Forestry Commission.

“Mr Hardisty’s reckless follow-up has been reported widely and his comments are being seen and reported to us by our industry colleagues around the world. They have the potential to be hugely damaging to our industry.

“He implies that wooden pallets are less hygienic than plastic pallets; in fact, wood continues to be a living plant that has natural defences against microorganisms – whereas plastic does not. Research shows that microorganisms thrive more in crevices and surface abrasions, such as those small cuts and notches caused in plastic as it is used. Mould is certainly not endemic to wood – it can also grow on plastic and other materials. Wooden pallets can simply be pressure washed, if and when they need cleaning.”

The argument didn’t stop there either, with both sides going on to question the environmental credentials, value and fire safety aspects of the other’s product.