Wood and timber waste recycling

Despite a mature market where more than 90% of wood waste is now recycled, reused or recovered for energy – largely thanks to established biomass and panelboard sectors – key challenges persist.

One major issue is poor segregation. Even clean, high-quality Grade A timber can be rejected for reuse if mixed with painted or varnished materials, metal fixings or plastic wrap. Meanwhile, hazardous or treated wood, such as CCA timber or creosote-soaked railway sleepers, must be managed separately under strict regulatory controls.

Market, regulatory and climate pressures are also intensifying. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) now includes wood packaging, meaning businesses that use wood pallets and crates must report their usage volumes and contribute financially to end-of-life recycling. Furthermore, industry bodies such as the Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) and Wood Panel Industries Federation have called for UK packaging recycling targets to rise.

Compounding these issues, the UK wood recycling sector faced notable turbulence in late 2025. Extended outages at several biomass energy plants and panelboard factories led to a severe backlog of lower-grade wood, with many recyclers hitting storage limits and gate fees spiking as facilities temporarily ceased accepting new loads.

This volatility highlights the importance of partnering with a stable, UK-based recycling provider that can ensure business continuity year-round.

• All grades of wood waste (A–D) processed in-house
• Hazardous treated timber handled under full permit
• On-site shredding, screening and biomass fuel preparation
• UK-wide collections with tailored skips and containers
• Verified weighing, documentation and ESG reporting
• Robust compliance and safety practices, including adherence to WRA standards and fire prevention protocols, meaning fewer service disruptions and risks

From wood waste to high-value resources

Unlike providers who simply collect and export, we manage the entire recovery process in-house at our Sherburn site. All incoming wood is graded, decontaminated and manually or mechanically treated to remove nails, plastic, metal fittings and other contaminants. Clean and treated fractions are separated, while any embedded hazards, such as asbestos or lead-based coatings, are identified and handled safely.

For branded or sensitive wood assets, such as product displays, proprietary fixtures or packaging, we also offer secure destruction with full certification, ensuring peace of mind and brand protection.

Beyond MYGroup’s standard recovery processes for waste wood, the company’s ReFactory™ business – specialising in the creative reuse and design of materials for B2B and consumer markets – ensures material of all grades can be incorporated.

From crafting some of the world’s most sustainable retail displays and point-of-sale units to building one-of-a-kind furniture pieces out of reclaimed timber and mixed materials, ReFactory ensures that no wood waste is deemed ‘unrecyclable.’ By using skilled craftsmanship and design, ReFactory can take salvaged off-cuts, unusual cuts or even broken furniture, upcycling them into high-quality products.

ReFactory not only diverts wood from disposal, but also creates a unique story for clients looking to showcase sustainability. The team collaborates with brands on closed-loop recovery project – turning recovered waste from schemes into bespoke products for use in everything from special lines and collections and brand activations to workspace fit-outs and staff engagement initiatives.