Waste wood refers to all types of wood material that have no further possible recovery except by treatment and disposal. They are usually burnt and the heat is recovered. These woods come mainly from the collection of bulky and industrial waste, as well as container parks and construction sites.
What types of wood?
“Waste wood” is used to qualify a wide range of wood materials, from non-treated woods to heavily contaminated wood waste. They are often classified into three categories according to their level of contamination:
- Category A: untreated, solid wood, natural (pallets, boards, beams, sawdust).They can be used in the wood industry or as fuel
- Category B: all types of wood waste likely to be contaminated with glues,varnishes, etc. (Chipboard, furniture and joinery, painted or treated wood). They are used as fuel and in a small proportion recycled in the industry
- Category C: wood treated or impregnated with protective agents (fence posts,railway wooden cross). They can only be recovered in energy under certain conditions
The use of wood waste as fuel for energy production is carried out under strict environmental conditions. These conditions depend on the level of contamination of waste by polluting products. For contaminated wood waste, specific flue gas treatment is required. This waste must not therefore be burnt by individuals. This waste represents a fuel available at a very low cost and at a very low humidity level.However, sorting and conditioning can be costly.