Segregation call comes as waste wood sector faces sustained market pressure, with quality now determining which producers can access recycling outlets.
The Wood Recyclers' Association (WRA) has called on waste producers, local authorities and waste management companies to segregate waste wood at source, saying that removing contaminants - particularly MDF - is now essential to maintaining access to recycling markets.
The trade body, whose 120-plus members represent more than 90 per cent of the UK's wood recyclers and reprocessors, said the panel board sector - the country's largest recycler of waste wood - cannot accept MDF because it causes processing problems and machinery blockages. Separating MDF from other waste wood before dispatch can open routes to both panel board manufacturers and biomass energy operators, the WRA said, reducing dependence on any single outlet.
Mark Hayton, chair of the WRA, said quality had become the decisive factor in a constrained market. "Over the past year market conditions have made it more challenging to find markets for waste wood. As a result, quality has become more important than ever with more offtake options for those producing a contaminant-free product which meets the necessary specifications of different end markets," he said.
The call reflects wider strain across the UK waste wood market. Since spring 2025, the sector has experienced what the WRA has described as an unprecedented oversupply, triggered by a combination of planned maintenance shutdowns and unexpected outages at several of the UK's largest biomass plants and panel board mills. The Environment Agency issued a dedicated regulatory position statement, RPS 361, in December 2025 to allow permitted sites in England to temporarily exceed storage limits where they had been affected by downtime at end destinations.
Around 4.5 million tonnes of waste wood arise in the UK each year. Close to three million tonnes - including lower-grade material that cannot be recycled - go to biomass plants for energy recovery. From April 2027, support for these plants under the Renewables Obligation begins to expire, which the WRA has warned could remove the sector's largest single outlet.
Panel board mills offer an alternative recycling route, but the route requires cleaner feedstock. Hayton said MDF was a particular problem for the panel board sector. "Downtime is often caused by MDF, which can create blockages in machinery. Manufacturers could use more waste wood overall if they received MDF-free feedstock," he said.
The WRA acknowledged that on-site separation of MDF is not possible at every facility because of logistical constraints. But where it can be done, the association said, it widens the range of available outlets and provides some protection against the kind of market volatility the sector has experienced over the past year.
"Focusing on quality and segregation gives producers the widest possible choice of outlets and helps protect against future market volatility," Hayton said.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.