The low priority placed on woodwaste by timber-using industries is proving a key barrier to increasing recycling levels in the UK, says a major report published by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
“A study of UK wood flows & recycled waste wood markets”, carried out by TRADA, shows companies are unaware of recycling options, while a lack of accurate data is obscuring a “vast amount” of waste wood sent to landfill every year, contributing to widespread ignorance about its value as a resource.
Recommendations include raising awareness, improving wood flow information and delivering investment to reprocessors to help increase their future uptake of waste wood, paricularly in added-value end uses.
Another WRAP publication, carried out by Urban Harvest Ltd, gives feedstock specifications for 20 current and emerging recycled wood applications. The report involved consultation with more than 50 wood recyclers and users of recycled wood products.
