Recycled Timber – Reducing the Dependence on Virgin Fibre

Egger UK is one of Europe’s leading wood based panel producers, with a product portfolio that ranges from decorative products, such as Melamine Faced Chipboard, Decorative MDF,
Laminate and Edging, to construction products, such as Chipboard and OSB. Its latest environmental initiative was a £4 million investment in a timber recycling plant, which utilises timber that may otherwise be burnt for energy or sent to landfill. The investment has increased EGGER UK’s capacity to use recycled timber – reducing the dependence on virgin fibre.
In addition, its ‘waste programme’ provides a significant reduction in the amount of metals going to landfill. When recycled timber is delivered to the plant it can contain a range of
materials from nails, copper, and alloy to glass and plastic. The improved segregation at the new plant now allows the metals to be recycled or reused.
There is very little waste produced during EGGER UK’s chipboard manufacturing process with the timber harvested from the forest delivered directly to the sawmill and used as raw material.
Off-cuts, sawdust and the parts of the tree that cannot be used by the sawmilling industry (e.g. the tops) are also utilised, e.g. as an energy source.
The company is involved in a selection of environmental schemes and recently supported the Tynedale regions largest ever landscaping scheme, planting over 13,000 trees. EGGER UK is
recognised for its responsible forestry, embracing the Forestry Stewardship Council’s certification scheme, which ensures that all wood is sourced from well managed and renewable sources. Not only are the forests replanted so that the amounts of trees are replenished, but 7% of the replanting includes native broadleaves which contribute to habitat provision, such as public recreation and species maintenance which are protected from felling. EGGER UK has its own wood recycling subsidiary company, called Timberpak which collects and delivers recycled timber nationwide. Collecting from EGGER UKs customers ensures the haulage wagons return utilised (so less ‘empty miles’). The material is reused for producing chipboard or, if
not suitable for use in production, to produce energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The Environmental production process is becoming an increasingly important part of the
public sector tendering chain. One of EGGERs clients, Rixonway Kitchens, is recognised as one of the UK’s most environ-mentally responsible kitchen production companies because of its
choice of suppliers and its own internal production processes. These range from the reduction of its carbon ‘tyreprint’ – via environmentally considerate vehicles – to its use of wood waste to generate biomass fuel. In addition to its own environmental concerns, with its core business coming from the social housing sector, Rixonway is keen to ensure all environmental aspects are covered both in its own factory and delivery systems and those of its suppliers.