Pest-resistant container design has taken centre stage at a meeting between specialists from the global container shipping industry and biosecurity experts. Together, they aim to address the USD 423 billion global challenge posed by invasive pests every year.
Attendees at The International Symposium on Optimising Container Design to Mitigate Risks of Pest Contamination on 11 November in Rotterdam included representatives from major carriers, leasing companies, container manufacturers, biosecurity experts, and plant health stakeholders.
‘Container design has historically focused on production efficiency and durability, but in a global supply chain, we must also prioritise pest resistance,’ says Mike Downes, senior technical expert at BIC and Chair of the Container Cleanliness Industry Advisory Group supporting the IPPC’s Sea Container Focus Group (SCFG).
He adds: ‘By rethinking container design, we can mitigate the risks of invasive species and safeguard biodiversity, forests, and global food supplies.’
Also read: Can container redesign reduce pest infestations?
Modified design reduces pest contamination
A key focus was a groundbreaking study by the Australian government comparing standard containers with modified designs. The study revealed that while eight per cent of standard containers showed signs of pest contamination, the rate dropped to just 1.45 per cent in modified units, demonstrating the potential of targeted design modifications.
‘Data from interceptions collected by several countries indicate that approximately ninety per cent of pest contamination found on the external surfaces of sea containers is linked to the understructures, while contamination on internal surfaces is primarily associated with the floorboards,’ explains Rama Karri, Director at the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Practical modifications
The symposium looked at practical modifications such as floor designs that eliminate gaps and cracks and prevent nail holes; understructures with fewer horizontal ledge configurations; and the elimination of bitumastic under-coatings. These design changes aim to make containers less hospitable to invasive pests without compromising functionality or cost-efficiency.
At the end of the conference, a working group with representatives from the major container owners, operators and manufacturers was established to move forward the many promising ideas introduced. The group will present proposals for container design modifications to the IPPC’s SCFG and ultimately to the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) that oversees the IPPC’s activities in regard to container cleanliness.
Symposium
‘This is a critical societal issue, and collaborative efforts like this symposium are helping broaden our industry’s recognition of the problem and strengthen its commitment to accelerate efforts to create a pest-resistant supply chain,’ says Lars Kjaer, Senior Vice President of the World Shipping Council.
The symposium was hosted in Rotterdam on 11th November 2024, organised by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat in partnership with the Bureau International des Containers (BIC), the Container Owners Association (COA), and the World Shipping Council (WSC).
