Report claims 85% increase in wood recycling since 1996

An in-depth study into the UK's wood waste market showed that wood recycled in the UK has increased by a massive 85% since 1996. The figures also revealed that 1,200,000 tonnes of wood waste was recycled in 2004 alone.

” It is extremely encouraging to see new markets open up, however we need to maintain the momentum in the coming years as demand for wood-based products continues to burgeon.“
– Tom Fourcade, WRAP
However the report also revealed that UK property demands mean there has also been an increase in the use of wood through timber-framed houses, window frames, decking and flooring.

For the “Wood Waste Arisings and Management” survey, data and reports relating to UK wood waste produced over the past decade was collected and analysed. The aim was to establish trends in wood waste arising s and its management in order to forecast waste volumes in future.

According to the report, the UK is now producing over 10.5 million tonnes of wood waste each year. Of this, 1,065,000 tonnes is municipal waste compared with 4,481,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste.

Panel board
Of the commercial and industrial wood waste, a significant proportion – up to 56% -has been attributed to packaging waste. A further 25% has been attributed to panel board manufacture, with 12% from furniture manufacture and 4% from construction product manufacture.

The predominant recycling route for waste wood was identified as panel board manufacture, which took nearly 1 million tonnes of post consumer wood waste in 2003.

The research also shows that the end uses are evolving as the amount of recycled wood being used in the “added value” sector – such as bedding, mulches or surfaces – has grown from 5% in 2003 to 14% in 2004. Nearly 200,000 tonnes went into horticultural surfaces and animal bedding in 2004, with over 200,000 combusted in small-scale boilers.

Tom Fourcade, materials sector manager for wood at WRAP, said: “Ten years ago there was no significant wood recycling taking place in the UK, however in recent years we have made significant progress. It is extremely encouraging to see new markets open up, however we need to maintain the momentum in the coming years as demand for wood-based products continues to burgeon.”