Assembled Packaging
Product Type
Subcategory
Assembled Wooden Packaging offers solid and reliable protection for a wide range of products during transport and storage. While many products are transported on Wooden Pallets (see Pallet Wood), there is also a huge industry involved in manufacturing pre-assembled Packaging cases for use within the UK logistics sector, as well as for global storage and for export.
These can include (but are not limited to):
- Warehouse cases
- Crates for storage and transport of industrial components
- Agricultural cases and boxes
- Wood stillages for construction components like windows or façade elements
- Fine art and museum cases for protection during storage and transport.
Both hardwoods and softwoods are used to manufacture Assembled Packaging, typically from Pine, Spruce and a variety of temperate hardwoods including Oak.
Common types of Assembled Packaging include:
- ISPM 15 Pallets: ISPM-15 wooden pallets and packaging must be heat-treated prior to use, to prove that the wood has been heat-treated appropriately and is free of pest infestations – especially important to ensure pests aren’t transported between countries, and when the packaging is being used to transport food and other similar products.
- Untreated Pallets: Untreated pallets cannot be used for international trade and shipping, but are suitable for storage and transportation uses within the UK.
- Euro Pallets: Euro pallets are distinguished from standard pallets mostly by their size. Standard UK pallets are 1200x100mm, while the Euro Pallet standard is 1200 x 800mm. Euro Pallets can be made from hardwoods and softwoods.
- Warehouse cases and crates: These products are manufactured from a variety of wood materials most often wood based panels and are used for the storage and transport of industrial components. Often folding flat for storage when empty these products are reused many times only being sent for recycling when beyond economic repair.
- Casks: Wooden casks area type of barrel-shaped container traditionally used for storage, most often of alcoholic drink such as Wine, Whisky or Sherry. Casks used for aging are typically made of French or American Oak, with Redwood and Chestnut used as well.
- Reuse and Repair: All of the above and many other forms of assembled wood packaging are ideally suited to reuse and repair making wood packing an inherently sustainable solution and an ideal product for the circular economy. There are many schemes and companies working to ensure wood pallets and packaging are reused many times over, but ultimately Buyers must specify and insist their pallets are suitable for and are always made available to the reuse scheme available in their sector.
All wood used for export packaging must be ISPM-15 compliant, which is usually by achieved by using specific kilning schedules for these grades of wood. This special kilning helps to sterilise the wood against insects, bacteria and other contaminants.
ISPM-compliant products must be heat-treated prior to use, to prove that the wood has been heat-treated appropriately and is free of pest infestations. This is especially important to ensure pests aren’t transported and allowed to spread between countries, and when the packaging is being used to transport food and other similar products.
The ISPM 15 standard was introduced in January 2021. Producers of ISPM-15 packaging in the UK must be a member of the UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme (UKWPMMP).
Wood packaging material must be made of debarked wood. Any number of clearly distinct small pieces of bark may remain if the individual pieces are one of the following:
- less than 3cm wide (of any length)
- greater than 3cm wide but with a total surface area of less than 50cm2
Debarked WPM, including dunnage (loose wood used to wedge or support cargo), must be either heat treated or fumigated.