epalrecycling.comEuro pallet reference for the US and Canada

Kiln drying

Kiln drying removes moisture from timber in a heated chamber. Under ISPM 15 it counts as heat treatment only when the schedule brings the whole wood profile to 56 °C for 30 continuous minutes. EPAL's classification says new Euro pallets are chamber-dried to a maximum of 22% residual moisture.

Document
GLS-020
Sheet
Glossary
Last reviewed
Sources
2 cited

Drying and treating

ISPM 15 names kiln-drying chambers as one way to achieve heat treatment, as long as the facility can show its schedule reaches the required temperature and time. A pallet built from kiln-dried timber is therefore not automatically compliant: it needs the HT code and a registered facility code in its mark.

Moisture

Drying matters for a different reason too. Wet wood shrinks as it dries, loosening nails, and can grow mould on the load. EPAL's 2023 classification poster lists chamber drying to a maximum of 22% residual moisture as a characteristic of new Euro pallets. Used pallets are allowed surface moisture from use or the environment.

What buyers ask

Food, pharmaceutical and reefer shippers sometimes ask for a moisture reading. If moisture matters for your load, put a figure in the purchase order rather than relying on the word "dried".

Sources

Last reviewed . Figures come from these publications; follow the links for the current versions.

  1. ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (adopted 2018, published 2019), IPPC Secretariat / FAO
  2. EPAL Quality Classification poster (edition 08/2023), European Pallet Association e.V.

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