Everyone in the supply chain has a responsibility to make sure materials are used and disposed of properly. In practice, considerations for our supply chain can even be translated into smaller things – like unwanted insects.
Wood packaging, pallets and the protective materials used to secure shipments have the potential to transport unwanted pests across borders, continents and oceans. Insects can sometimes cause economic and environmental harm to a new area, and can potentially impact places where other plants and animals live. The International Plant Protection Commission has developed protocols to control the movement of unwanted insects in wood products and Canada has adopted regulations to ensure that these pests are not imported or exported.
Responding to growing international concerns about the movement of unwanted insects, our operations have taken various steps to combat their transportation. For example, our Trail Operations participates in a control program that carefully selects sterile plywood for packaging silver and indium. Our Highland Valley Copper Operations mandates that only certified treated wood for the pallets is used to transport molybdenum. The treatments applied to these shipping materials ensure unwelcome pests are not present before the products are sent to new communities.
