Sustainable management of wood residues: challenges of recycling, combustion and environmental impact

In the quest for climate neutrality, the importance of sustainability and the reuse of wood waste are becoming crucial. To determine how wood waste is managed by wood and wood-based panel plants, the research aimed to focus particularly on energy recovery contribution. The research was based on quantitative data analysis obtained through computer-assisted telephone interviews. The results showed that over 57 % of respondents declared that they combusted waste to recover energy, which causes immediate CO2 emissions, instead of enabling long-term storage in wood-based products. Further research analyzed the emissions produced by combustion of the selected products: MDF boards and softwood and hardwood pellets. Laboratory tests showed that the incineration of MDF boards resulted in the emission of a number of harmful substances, which pose a threat to health and the environment. In contrast, burning pellets does not generate toxic compounds, but it still leads to the release of CO2. Research findings indicate the need for further research into the cascading wood utilization strategy, focusing on the use of wood waste in the material cycle instead of the energy cycle in order to understand and promote the EU’s sustainable development goals throughout the wood industry.