Market conditions in the UK waste wood sector remain challenging after ‘unprecedented’ levels of disruption in 2025, the Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) has warned.
The WRA says that, while conditions have improved, the market has not fully recovered and there is still high stock levels across the UK, as well as constrained outlets for material.
These conditions mean many wood recyclers have had to limit the volumes they can accept, particularly where storage capacity is stretched, the WRA says.
In 2025, unplanned outages and planned maintenance at major biomass and panel board facilities caused ‘unprecedented disruption’.
The lingering impact has made it difficult for some suppliers to find suitable outlets for their waste wood and put upward pressure on gate fees, the WRA warns.
Julia Turner, Executive Director of the WRA, commented: “While conditions are better than they were last year, there remains more material in the market than normal and outlet capacity remains tight.”
“Many recyclers are working hard to keep material moving, but high stock levels mean some sites continue to restrict intake, which can make it more difficult for those seeking outlets for their waste wood.”
The WRA is encouraging organisations producing waste wood to segregate material wherever possible and focus on quality.
Although demand for material improved over winter, the WRA says increasing waste wood arisings and seasonal downtime at end-use facilities saw volumes rise again this summer.
The dry summer also lowered the moisture content of waste wood, meaning both the biomass and panel board sectors require less material to meet demand.
Stock levels are gradually reducing but, in many areas, remain well above normal levels and the market continues to feel the effects of an extended period of oversupply, the WRA says.
This market pressure comes at a time when wood recyclers are also facing increasing operational costs, including higher fuel prices and the additional reporting requirements associated with Digital Waste Tracking.
