WOOD-BASED WASTE MANAGEMENT - IMPORTANT RESOURCES FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Wood as a renewable resource represent one of the most important advantage of the forest based industry and all related industries. The circular economy focuses on the utilisation of resources and the reutilisation of these resources and waste streams into value added products. The principles of the circular economy apply equally to all sectors of the national economy, while each sector has certain specificities that need to be focused on. Analysis of wood flows take into account not only the uses of wood as a material, but also by-products and waste generated by the production to be used as inputs for further uses in construction, wood processing or energy sectors. Better use and knowledge of wood material flows may ensure production of higher added value products as well as to lead to cost reduction. This paper deals with the analysis of raw wood flows in Slovakia with a focus on wood-based waste management, utilisation of wood waste. The concept of cascading aim to optimise the use of wood in the whole chain of its processing and utilisation. In Slovakia, among the forest based industries, the most important producers of wood-based by-products are the sawmill industry (with approximately 40% of the total volume of processed wood). In particular the results show some particular examples of wood flows focused on possibilities of utilisation of wood waste from the wood processing industry (WPI) and recycled wood.