Circular economy opportunities for economic efficiency improvement in wood-based panel industry

Abstract

The enhanced technological possibilities to utilise wood waste and residues in the production of wood-based panels can help towards the transition to a circular, low-carbon bioeconomy. The cascading use of wood resources, defined as “the efficient utilisation of resources by using residues and recycled materials for material use to extend total biomass availability within a given system” is one of the leading principles for achieving this goal. The wood-based panel industry is characterised by significant amounts of waste and residues that present a great volume potential for cascading. The aim of the present study is to define the basic guidelines for cascading use of wood waste from the production of wood-based panels and analyse the economic impact in terms of economic efficiency in line with the circular and bioeconomy principles. Time series analysis of wood waste and raw material flows in the Republic of Bulgaria, economic assessment of the current utilisation of wood waste in the wood-based panel industry along with comparative analysis of the potential utilization methods have been presented. The existing technical and market barriers to the cascading use of wood have also been discussed.