Eco Guard is one of the IPPC ISPM 15-compliant fumigation and heat treatment providers in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is an intergovernmental treaty signed by more than 184 countries, aiming to protect the world’s plant resources from the spread and introduction of pests while promoting safe trade.
The Convention introduced International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) as the primary tool to achieve its objectives, making it the sole global organization for setting plant health standards.

The IPPC is one of the “Three Sisters” recognized by the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement, alongside the Codex Alimentarius Commission for food safety standards and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for animal health standards.

Any wood packaging used for the protection, support, and/or transport of goods must comply with ISPM 15 standards in an increasing number of countries worldwide.
ISPM 15 stands for International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15, implemented by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
This global standard was introduced in March 2002 to eliminate the confusion and challenges caused by inconsistent import restrictions on wooden materials.

Among other requirements, ISPM 15 states that wood packaging and dunnage must be treated to eliminate the risk of contamination by pests and harmful organisms.
Wood treated in accordance with ISPM standards must bear the official IPPC mark, which eliminates the need for a phytosanitary certificate.

If wood packaging arrives at a destination port and is found not to comply with ISPM 15 standards, the shipment may be confiscated by customs, returned to the sender, or even destroyed.
All related costs will be charged to the shipper or consignee.

Approved Treatment Methods:

There are four approved treatment methods for wood:

1. Heat Treatment (treatment code: HT)

2. Sulfuryl Fluoride – chemical treatment (treatment code: SF)

3. Dielectric Heating (treatment code: DH)

4. Methyl Bromide – chemical treatment (treatment code: MB) (banned in Europe since 2010)

Heat treatment is the standard method used in Europe.
In the past, Methyl Bromide (MB) was widely used for fumigation, but due to its harmful environmental impact, it has been banned in Europe since 2010.