epalrecycling.comEuro pallet reference for the US and Canada

HT, heat treatment

HT on a pallet stamp means heat treatment under ISPM 15: the wood was held at a minimum of 56 °C throughout its full profile, including the core, for at least 30 continuous minutes. Every EPAL pallet produced since 1 January 2010 must be heat treated, and HT is the code you should expect on one.

Document
MRK-006
Sheet
Markings, ISPM 15
Last reviewed
Sources
3 cited
HT, on its own line or after a hyphenFormat
ISPM 15Scheme

Where it is

[EPAL mark][EPAL mark]IPPCXX-000HT000-0-00Centre block: treatment mark, licence and stapleOuter blockOuter block
Schematic long side. The highlighted part is the ht, heat treatment. The EPAL trademark is shown only as a labelled placeholder.

Last element of the ISPM 15 mark.

What it proves

That the wood reached at least 56 °C throughout its profile, core included, for at least 30 continuous minutes in a conventional steam or dry kiln heat chamber.

In detail

ISPM 15 Annex 1 defines HT as heat treatment in a conventional steam or dry kiln chamber. Kiln-drying, steam heating and heat-enabled pressure impregnation can all count, as long as they hit 56 °C for 30 continuous minutes throughout the wood. Treatment providers are expected to measure at the coldest point, and the standard recommends at least two temperature sensors where probes go into the wood.

EPAL made ISPM 15 heat treatment compulsory for all new EPAL pallets from 1 January 2010 and says the same applies to repaired pallets. EPAL's ISPM 15 page calls the process chemical-free. For a North American importer that means a correctly marked euro pallet with HT is the expected case, and an EPAL-branded pallet with MB instead should raise questions.

Heat treatment is not ongoing protection. ISPM 15 says the measures are not meant to protect against contamination after treatment, so a wet, mouldy HT pallet can still be rejected by a buyer or graded down.

Common misreadings

  • HT does not mean the pallet is food-safe or clean; it is a pest treatment only.

Pallets that carry it

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. ISPM 15: protection of international ecosystems, European Pallet Association e.V.
  3. EPAL Euro pallet (EPAL 1), load-carrier page, European Pallet Association e.V.

What do you need to do with them?

Pick one. Each form takes about a minute and goes to one partner, not a list of dealers.

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