WRAP warns of waste wood shortages

The 'Wood Waste Market in the UK' report, which was published on Friday (August 28) estimated that, based on knowledge of previous economic downturns, wood waste arisings could fall by as much as 14% over the next year from their pre-recession peak, and that their levels may not recover for up to five years.

And, it predicted that this may cause problems for the growing number of operations, such as biomass power plants, which use waste wood as a feedstock, warning that a sharp increase in demand for waste wood could lead to price rises and wood shortages.

The study, which was compiled by consultancy firms Pöryr and Oxford Economics Ltd, also found that current UK wood waste arisings were “significantly lower than earlier estimates”. It surveyed construction, demolition and secondary processing sectors and found that wood waste arisings in the UK for 2008 were between 4.5 and 4.6 million tonnes.

The report stated that “output levels in many of the sectors which heavily use wood inputs and therefore generate waste have fallen sharply since the UK economy entered recession”.

It acknowledged that the combined output of the three main user industries for waste wood – wood panel manufacturing, animal bedding and electricity generation – would also fall, but claimed that their ouput, and consequently demand for waste wood, will have recovered by 2010, with demand “likely to outstrip” arisings over the next few years.

Marcus Gover, director of market development at WRAP, said: “Our new report gives valuable insights as to the issues currently affecting the wood waste market in the UK. It brings into focus the real need to ensure we're recovering our arisings of waste wood as efficiently and to as high a standard as possible.”

Mr Gover added that WRAP would work to help reprocessors meet the challenges the current market was posing and explained that the organisation could offer a range of support options to businesses.

WRAP has said that it hopes that the report will also inform work currently being done by the Waste Protocols Project to develop a Quality Protocol for wood waste.

The Waste Protocols Project announced in June this year that wood from post-industrial and post-consumer sources would be one of four new additional materials to be included in its programme of work between 2009 and 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).

The Project aims to provide clarity on end of waste and regulations, stop materials being landfilled unnecessarily and increase the use of waste as a resource.