Unilin, the well-known wood panel manufacturer, has announced a €20 million investment to start an industrial-scale mdf (Medium Density Fiberboard) recycling plant at its Bazeilles, France, facility. While until now MDF products, such as decorative panels and flooring, were often incinerated due to the presence of glues in the wood fibers, which posed a significant challenge for recycling, thanks to a new technology developed to break down the glue molecules it is now possible to recycle this material as well by separating the glue molecules through the use of steam.
Currently, the Bazeilles plant has the capacity to recycle 1,500 kilograms of mdf per hour, with plans to increase this capacity significantly by September 2025, when the first recycling line becomes operational. This project aims to store 380 thousand tons of CO2 annually, an impact equivalent to the emissions of 211 thousand cars, by reusing wood fibers instead of burning them.
The investment will not only support the implementation of new equipment, but will enable Unilin to offer mdf panels with 30 percent recycled content, with the goal of increasing this percentage over time. Two recycling lines will be developed: one dedicated to pre-consumer waste from industrial customers and the other for post-consumer waste. In addition, Unilin plans to license this technology to promote circular economy practices in the industry.
