Given the importance of wood as a renewable resource, efficient waste wood utilisation is central to visions for a climate-neutral, sustainable, and competitive Europe. Against this backdrop, it is critical to leverage waste wood as a sustainable resource to meet Europe’s rising demand for wood-based products while also combating deforestation, biodiversity loss, and emissions tied to virgin wood harvesting. In advancing the circular economy and transforming waste wood valorisation to meet future demand, construction and demolition (C&D) and furniture waste wood have been identified for their potential to be turned into valuable wood-based products.
In this CEPS In-Depth Analysis report prepared in connection with the EU-funded Wood2Wood project, we explore opportunities to advance the circular economy and overcome challenges to waste wood utilisation – particularly for C&D and municipal furniture waste wood – through supportive policy. Combining desk research on existing waste wood approaches with expert consultations, we find both variation in waste wood approaches across Member States and numerous technological, market, and policy challenges to waste wood utilisation, such as the lack of efficient waste wood processing technologies, the absence of a market for waste wood, and the need for a harmonised waste wood regulatory framework.
This paper was prepared in the context of the Wood2Wood project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101138789.
