The UK waste wood market remains ‘under significant pressure’, with stockpiles of material still reported across the UK, the Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) says.
The WRA warns that many wood recyclers have been forced to pause or restrict their intake of waste wood, and that it may take several months before the backlog is cleared and market conditions begin to stabilise.
Earlier this year, several of the UK’s largest users of waste wood, including biomass plants and panel board manufacturers, experienced a combination of planned maintenance downtime and unexpected outages that significantly reduced demand for the material.
WRA says the seasonal nature of the market has further compounded these complications as summer typically brings higher volumes of waste wood and lower demand.
CIWM Senior Vice President, Vicki Hughes, Technical Lead on the WRA Board, called the situation ‘unprecedented’ and said recyclers across the country are being affected.
“We had hoped the situation would improve after the summer, and while some sites reopening did help, new breakdowns and extended shutdowns have left everyone with too much material,” Hughes said.
“We urge those looking to offload waste wood to be patient, as recyclers are working hard to keep material moving where possible.”