WoodVALOR Project Overview

The Challenge

Europe generates approximately 20.5 million tons of contaminated post-consumer wood waste annually (16 million tons in the EU and 4.5 million tons in the UK) that cannot be easily recycled. This waste contains valuable components – cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractives – but is contaminated with heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, copper), organic pollutants (PCBs, PAHs, pesticides), and wood preservatives (creosote, CCA, PCP).

Currently, this contaminated wood is either landfilled or incinerated, emitting anywhere from 400 – 1000 kg CO₂e per ton wood, while wasting millions of tons cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin annually.

Our Solution

WoodVALOR transforms contaminated wood waste into valuable bio-based products through innovative decontamination and valorisation processes, creating circularity across multiple European value chains through:

Advanced Decontamination

Model-based approach for sorting and managing contaminated wood waste

Customized decontamination solutions tailored to contamination types

Metal recovery systems to reclaim valuable resources

Treatment of decontamination liquids for zero-waste processing

Focus on wood from coated furniture, pallets, and construction structures

Dual Valorisation Routes

Chemical/Biological Transformation: Creating bio-based acrylate esters,
binders, emulsifiers, additives, and pigments for industrial applications.

Thermal Conversion: Producing biochar through pyrolysis for heavy metal
recovery and remediation of contaminated lands, particularly mining sites
covering an estimated 1 million km² worldwide.

Impact Across Industries

WoodVALOR addresses critical environmental challenges across multiple industrial sectors:

01

Paints & Coatings

The global P&C industry accounts for 1-3% of industrial GHG emissions (230-700 million tons CO₂e annually). WoodVALOR provides sustainable bio-based alternatives to fossil-based styrene, acrylate, and alkyd resins, reducing emissions throughout the value chain.

02

Construction

Developing bio-based adhesives and sealants validated with
major European building companies, addressing a sector responsible for 35% of EU waste and over 250 million tons CO₂e annually.

03

Mining Remediation

Biochar application enhances soil structure, increases water retention, and boosts microbial activity in degraded mining lands,
supporting reforestation efforts.

Our Approach

WoodVALOR brings together key industry players, leading SMEs, and research
institutes to:

Implement Safe & Sustainable by Design (SSbD) methodology ensuring no toxic releases.

Establish new cross-sectoral value chains connecting waste management,
chemical, construction, and mining sectors

Promote circular economy principles through multi-actor collaboration.

Enhance resource efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Reduce reliance on fossil resources while mitigating climate change.

Improve soil health and biodiversity

Through this integrated approach, WoodVALOR demonstrates true circularity – utilizing waste streams from mining and construction industries to produce essential components for paints, coatings, sealants, and adhesives, while recovering metals and minerals and contributing to environmental restoration.

Project Data

Type of action: Research & Innovation Action

Feedstock origin: Mixed waste wood from the UK and Finland

Duration: 1 June 2025 – 30 May 2028

CBE contribution: € 3,515,430

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