Wood panel major sets sights on more recycled content

Wood-based panels giant Sonae Arauco has increased its use of recycled wood to 33%. Its recycled content totalled 809 000 tonnes in 2024.

The company’ latest milestone compares to 31% recycled content achieved in 2023. Both are notably higher than the EU’s average of 25% recycled content for wood-based panels. Some of the producer’s products currently contain up to 70% recycled wood.

As a next step, Sonae Arauco is investing around EUR 13 million to boost the integration of more recycled wood. 

Last year, the company’s network of wood recycling centres in Portugal and Spain was responsible for recovering 282 000 tonnes of wood. This is the equivalent of almost 2.5 million trees – an increase of 12% on the volume of wood collected in the previous year.

Positive momentum

Meanwhile, the wood-based panels market is projected to reach EUR 183 billion by 2035. The figure is up from EUR 85.4 billion in 2024 and represents compound annual growth of 7.17%.

Growing urbanisation, increasing home renovation activities, and rising demand for sustainable building materials have significantly contributed to the expansion of the global wood-based panels market. The trend toward green construction and environmentally friendly furniture also continues to strengthen the industry outlook.