Your online orders cannot currently be placed through your PGW Customer Account Web login. Please contact our online support team for more information.
The first load of PermaPine MCA treated posts being delivered to Wither Hills Marlborough vineyard.

Alternative timber treatment available

A new PermaPine treatment plant has been commissioned to treat timber posts with an alternative process. Offering unique end-of-life options that provide some environmental advantages compared to the traditional post treatment with CCA chemical, which contains chromium and arsenic.

Micronised copper azole (MCA) is a wood preservative applied under pressure using two active ingredients: micronised copper and azole. The copper in MCA is typically sourced from recycled copper metal. Through a chemical process using sulphuric acid and sodium carbonate, copper carbonate is created, then ground to a fine particle size. The other active ingredient is an   azole, which comes from a family of synthetic fungicides originally developed for human health and crop protection.

Grant Cathcart, PermaPine’s South Island Sales Manager, says the disposal of CCA treated posts into landfill is expensive. 
“These disposal costs will only increase further in the future. Another option with CCA posts is to repurpose them with Repost, but at a cost and the remaining broken end still needs to be disposed of.”

In contrast, MCA treated posts have a second, important use as a source of energy. “MCA treated posts can be used as a fuel source for industrial boilers which is particularly relevant as we look for alternative sources of energy to fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal,” says Grant.

“Should an MCA post get broken, it can be pulled out and dropped at a collection point in your area. PermaPine has partnerships with industrial energy users who are consented to utilise MCA treated posts for energy production.” 

Ian Piebenga, PermaPine’s General Manager, says that many growers prefer wooden posts and strainers, being naturally derived products.

“As trees grow, they sequester carbon, filtering CO2 from the atmosphere created through the production of products such as steel, concrete and plastic. When wood is treated, this stored carbon is locked into the wood for the life of the post. The production of one wooden post sequesters 30 kg of CO2 whereas the production of a steel post emits 7.1 kg of CO2¹. This difference equates to 20.35 tonnes of reduced CO2 per hectare by choosing wood. And to counter the limited disposal options for CCA treated posts, the new MCA treatment from PermaPine makes the use of wooden timber posts in vineyards a circular process.”  

Sarah Kirkwood at Wither Hills says they took on the idea of MCA posts because of the end of life story. “On average, three percent of posts are replaced every year – around 16 posts per hectare – so if a post breaks in years to come, there’s a place for them to be recycled and not end up in a big rubbish pile. This recyclable aspect of the MCA posts fits with the Wither Hills sustainability plan.” 

The MCA treatment has various environmental certifications including the Global Green tag and the National Green Building standard. MCA treated posts are backed by the PermaPine 50-year warranty against insect and fungal damage when used and installed according to industry guidelines. Importantly fasteners recommended for use on CCA treated wood are also recommended for MCA treated wood. Hot-dipped galvanized fasteners are recommended as a minimum, although in coastal areas stainless steel fasteners are recommended.  

Contact your local Fruitfed Supplies store to find out more about PermaPine’s MCA treated posts for orchards and vineyards.

¹ Report: “Environmental Benefits of Treated Wood” by Andre Siraa, Arxada, January 2024.