Contacts made with research centers made it possible to point out the methods of valorization, for some of them innovating or at the stage of research and development, that Bioreg does not highlight. Indeed, Bioreg relies on the 2 modes the most widespread, and among the most operational, are the combustion and recycling of materials in the panel industry.
Among these other methods of valorization, we can mention:
– Reuse (furniture, but also windows, doors, beams, boards after sanding, flooring)
– Biotechnological ethanol production – Pyrolysis – Production of syngas
– Production of biochar and especially charcoal for wood wastes
– Use of fine particle for production of lightweight concretes or insulation
Research center, Universities but also industrials contacts also highlight priorities for research and development to improve the recovery of wood waste. Among the main priorities we can mention:
– Eco-design
o Eco-design is a preventive and innovative approach that reduces the negative impacts of the product on the environment throughout its life cycle (LCA), while maintaining its qualities of use. Thus, the elements present in the wood wastes that penalize their recycling or their recovery energetic matter could be reduced. In order to improve recyclability of wood waste, the following avenues for research can be mentioned:
▪ During design, consider the dismantling and separability of materials of different natures, without altering the qualities of use of the product
▪ Identify alternatives to plastic hardware that cannot be easily dissociated from wood elements (particle board, solid wood, etc.), unlike metal that can be extracted by magnetization (ferrous metals) or eddy current systems (aluminum)
▪ Promote the identification and separability of electrical and electronic components by furniture waste management operators
▪ Integrate mirrors and coatings that are easily separable from their support, while respecting safety standards
▪ Avoid production of composite flooring or cladding (wood + plastic)
o Ashes valorisation (fly and bottom)
▪ Ashes represent between 2 and 6 % of wood wastes burnt. These ashes contain toom much pollutants to be returned to the soils (agronomic valorisation) and end up generally in landfills devoted to hazardous wastes, which cost are high (around 300 €/t in France). Recycling solutions (filler, ceramic, etc.) exist but non always applicable depending of in-put, or at R&D stage. Operators are interested to develop research actions on this topic in order to low costs.
– Knowledge on flue gas emission associates to combustion of wood wastes (combustion test)
– Optical sorting technologies to remove plastic, fibre panel board, contaminated wood wastes
o Fast detection and sorting technologies
– Flue gas treatment improvement – Adapted boilers to wood waste (water-cooled grill, etc.) – Pyrolysis: production of syngas, biochar, charcoal. – Black pellets. – Knowledge on of dusts generated during the different stages of process (unloading, loading, shredding, screening). These dusts contain pollutants (PCP, heavy metals; PM10, PM2.5…) very harmful for human health
Share via
