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Material Handling Headlines

Stepped-up U.S. regulations on pallets and other wood packaging are likely on the way, though it’s unclear when, industry officials say.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture set the wheels in motion in August, asking for feedback on ways to reduce the risks of spreading insect pests that hitch rides on wood packaging. The public comment period ended Oct. 26, and potential rule changes remain under consideration, according to the USDA.

“We are reviewing comments and considering the next steps,” Alyn Kiel, spokeswoman for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said.

Bruce Scholnick, president of the Alexandria, Va.-based National Wooden Pallet & Container Association, says it’s only a matter of time before new rules are adopted.

“I’m convinced it will happen,” Scholnick said.

He said the USDA is moving “too slowly.”

“These critters are going to keep moving, and we can’t stop them,” Scholnick said.

There are about 1.2 billion wood pallets in use in the U.S., according to the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association. Businesses that make, sell and repair the pallets generate about $5 billion revenue a year, Scholnick estimates.

The USDA aims to halt the spread of pests, primarily the emerald ash borer and the Asian long-horned beetle, that hide in wood packaging shipped from state to state. These insects pose “a serious threat to U.S. agriculture and forests,” according to a USDA statement prior to a series of public hearings that began last fall on the issue.

Options under consideration include requiring wooden pallets used in the U.S. be heat-treated or fumigated with methyl bromide.

Another option would require pallet pooling. Under a pooling system, packaging companies lease pallets to interstate shippers while retaining ownership of the individual pallets and employing “rigorous inventory tracking and management,” according to the Aug. 27 USDA statement.

Read the full story at: thepacker.com

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