The proposal comes in a consultation paper on wood produced by WRAP which a new organisation set up by the government to promote sustainable waste management and to optimise the volume and value of materials recovered from the UK waste streams.
Wood represents one of four types of waste material that are likely to be targeted by the organisation, although it is still to finalise its business plan and is carrying out a consultation exercise during February prior to publishing a draft plan in March.
The other three are paper, glass and plastics.
Besides suggesting a grading system for wood, WRAP also suggest it should develop a research and development programme to support technological improvements in wood recovery and recycling. And, also likely is work by WRAP to gather data as well as running an industry focused awareness programme on the potential for use of recycled timber.
In its work so far WRAP has noted that there is limited demand generated for recycled timber and timber products, based on low awareness of potential and/or resistance to specify by architects and builders, and low awareness of the potential for diversified end uses.
It gives several barriers to increased recycling:
Supply
- Provision of feedstock for particleboard manufacture difficult to maintain in cost effective manner through combination of costs of transport and geographical distribution of industry.
- Current limitation on use of wood as a bio-fuel and in compost products through contamination of mixed wood waste and treated timbers.
- Low cost of landfill limits the momentum to recover what is often a difficult to sort waste stream.
Reprocessing
- Limited capacity of current UK wood recycling industry, with only a small number of companies active in this field across the UK. Significant potential to expand this industry.
- Limitations on the technology available for reprocessing.
Targets
WRAP, suggests that two targets should be set for wood recycling, in percentage terms at present, although this may be reviewed when more data is available.
The first is for a 100% increase in wood packaging recovery, an estimated additional 180,000 tonnes to reach 350,000 tonnes by end of 2004. The second is for 40% recycling and re-use of construction and demolition wood waste, an estimated extra 100,000 tonnes to reach 480,000 tonnes by end 2004.
Comments on the wood consultation document are invited by February 16 and should be sent to Ray Georgeson, policy director, WRAP, 8th Floor, 43 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3PY, tel: 020 7944 8861, fax: 020 7944 8864, email: WRAP policy
Further details are also available at the WRAP website.
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