The InFutUReWood’s Spanish partner, Timber Construction Research Group from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), contacted with Urkiondo Ekolur S.L., a recycling company from the Basque Country, Spain. The wood recycling facilities sited in Andoain were visited last July. This is one of the biggest companies in the Basque Country processing wood waste to chips for two different end-uses: particleboards manufacturing and energy production.
Wood waste arrives segregated from other materials at this plant. The origin of wood waste can be organic (pruning, thinning) or industrial (timber from demolition, pallets, furniture, carpenter’s workshop residues) and are processed separately for different end-uses. The organic wood waste is chipped twice in the same machine and used for energy production. The industrial wood waste (mainly timber from demolition) is reduced to chips and sold for particleboards manufacturing. A tour of the facilities, conducted by Mrs. Aitziber Ayerbe, provided a great understanding of the waste recycling process.
Industrial wood waste
Packaging wood waste
Processing wood waste to chips
