WoodTreat

INnovative INtegral approach for WOOD waste depollution and multi-sector valorization

Project details

Type of project: Research & Innovation Action
Project focus: Construction
Feedstock origin: Forestry waste
Organic waste
Sidestreams from industry
Feedstock type: Industrial waste streams
Lignin & wood residues

Project period: 1 September 2025 - 31 August 2029
Status: Upcoming
CBE JU Contribution: € 3 500 000,00
Call identifier: HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024

Summary

Wood waste, especially from treated materials, is becoming a greater challenge for the circular economy. As wood usage rises, the amount of preservative-treated wood being discarded also grows. This type of wood, often classified as Grade C or AIII/AIV, is difficult to recycle due to the harmful chemicals it contains, which pose both environmental and health risks.

WoodTreat addresses this issue by proposing a multi-dimensional cascade approach to manage heavily polluted post-consumer wood waste. The project aims to develop innovative methods to identify and remediate chemically contaminated wood through seven pilot validation trials. These technologies will help reduce reliance on unsustainable waste management practices, such as incineration and landfilling, while enabling the production of new, safe and value-added products from recycled wood.

Create a system to detect chemical pollutants in post-consumer wood, improving sorting efficiency and supporting circular economy practices.
Develop products such as functional insulation boards, bio-composites, and clay bricks using post-consumer wood, thereby supporting the circular bioeconomy.
Design and validate cleaning technologies to remove pollutants from post-consumer wood for use in industrial biorefineries.
Test cleaned, polluted post-consumer wood and creosote-treated wood in various industrial sectors to assess suitability for applications.
Improve wood waste processing efficiency, offering sustainable alternatives to virgin materials, helping small businesses reduce costs and boost profitability.
Scale bio-based innovations for commercial viability, reducing dependence on primary biomass and fostering new business models in recycling and biorefineries.
Analyse the current regulatory framework and recommend solutions for the responsible cascade use of polluted post-consumer wood in the EU.
Integrate Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design frameworks to optimise the environmental impact, reducing human toxicity and ecotoxicity of post-consumer wood processing.
Raise public understanding and acceptance of sustainable processing of polluted post-consumer wood.

Create new knowledge in the treatment and recovery of polluted post-consumer wood processing.
Contribute to significant advances in wood waste transformation and environmental technology by developing new methods for waste characterisation, depollution, and recycling.
Develop eco-designed bio-based products, including insulation boards, micro-fibrillated cellulose, and lignin-based adhesives.
Improve resource efficiency and profitability for companies by creating new job opportunities, reducing costs, and fostering new business models.
Reduce CO2 emissions by diverting wood waste from landfills, encouraging sustainable consumer practices and improving policies.
Raise awareness about bio-based solutions and increase consumer understanding and acceptance of circular bio-based products, encouraging demand for sustainable materials and influencing policy.
Create a circular process that transforms hazardous waste streams into valuable resources, driving a societal shift toward sustainable and science-based recycling practices.

Consortium map

Project coordination

SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET Uppsala, Sweden

Consortium

INTERNATIONALER VEREIN FUR TECHNISCHE HOLZFRAGEN EV BRAUNSCHWEIG, Germany
UNIVERSITE DE LORRAINE Nancy Cedex, France
NOVAMECHANICS LIMITED Nicosia, Cyprus
INSTITUT TECHNOLOGIQUE FCBA (FORETCELLULOSE BOIS-CONSTRUCTION AMEUBLEMENT) Champs Sur Marne, France
UNILIN Wielsbeke, Belgium
MEKANIKA KREKEZ*MECHANICS CREEK Vlore, SARANDE, Fshati Nivice, Albania
NOVAMECHANICS MONOPROSOPI IKE PIRAEUS, Greece
ECOLE SUPERIEURE DU BOIS ESB ASSOCIATION Nantes Cedex 3, France
STICHTING IHE DELFT INSTITUTE FOR WATER EDUCATION Delft, Netherlands
FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV Munchen, Germany
FIBERLEAN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED Par Cornwall, United Kingdom
THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM Birmingham, United Kingdom
MANIFAKTURA SRL Pesaro, Italy
SCHUMANN Germany
ADVANCED MINERALS AND RECYCLING INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS IKE IRAKLEIO ATTIKIS, Greece
STEINBEIS 2I GMBH Stuttgart, Germany
SOPREMA STRASBOURG, France
PANEPISTIMIO THESSALIAS Volos, Greece