The support for WRAP comes as the Wood Recyclers' Association (WRA) launches its own website
WRA as part of a development strategy six months on from its launch in March this year.
The WRA represents companies which generally carry out the chipping and sorting of wood for delivery to the boardmakers. Its chairman Michael Tracey, of Tracey Timber Recycling, said: “We recognise that WRAP is a very serious organisation and is looking for new sustainable markets for our material.”
He said that he was not worried that WRAP would simply give funds to board makers. “The WRAP targets for increasing wood recycling over the three years are ambitious and we are working closely with WRAP and with DEFRA towards meeting those targets.”
However, there does remain concern among some wood recyclers that they will not benefit proportionately from WRAP's plans although there was optimism that if new markets could be found then they would benefit. One wood recycler told letsrecycle: “The mills have a cut-throat attitude and they will be looking for support from WRAP to help their side of the industry rather than ours.”
Within the wood recycling trade the market currently is seen as “very competitive”.
Alastair Kerr, director general of the Wood Panel Industries Federation, said: “The market is depressed at the moment although there is some growth in demand for types of MDF but not in the particle board market. The volume of recycled content is growing as there is more substitution of roundwood. We expect there will be continued growth in the market for recycled material.”
Nevertheless with more wood being collected for recycling, wood recyclers consider that the market is volatile and that margins are tighter than they were a few years ago. Mills are reported to have good stock levels and are finding that board sales are not strengthening, partly in the face of imported finished product.
And, some board-makers are currently looking to step up their quality controls, a move seen by some recyclers as a means to limit the flow of material.
Such an approach was discounted however by Howard Jones of Kronospan who said the company is keen to buy material and is busy.
On the pricing front wood recyclers, who chip waste wood and then transport it to the mills, are currently reported to be allowing free tipping of some wood, including pallets, although this is mainly at yards closer to the board mills. Generally gate-fees for delivery of material into the wood recycling site range from 5 to as much as 15 per tonne and even more in some instances.
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