TOWARDS ADHESIVE FREE TIMBER BUILDINGS

Closed

The project addresses the wasteful and harmful use of toxic adhesives in the manufacturing of Engineered Wood Products (EWPs) by the construction industry. University, industry and the public sector will cooperate to demonstrate new adhesive free EWPs using new technology, encouraging and enabling market uptake across North West Europe (NWE). Providing confidence in the structural properties of adhesive free EWPs using compressed wood is the key to this market uptake. The project will move the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 4 to 7. More than 5 million m3 of EWPs were produced in the EU in 2013/14 and the market is growing, as EWPs provide a ‘green’ alternative to steel and concrete in construction. In the long-term, the project aims to result in the production of 1 million m3 of adhesive free products and remove 6000 tonnes of the toxic adhesives currently used in manufacturing. The adhesive free products will be 100% reusable and recyclable. This will have a positive impact in North West Europe where the majority of EWPs go to landfill or incineration contributing to the 15 million tonnes of timber construction waste in landfill across Europe each year. In the long term, the project aims to result in the reduction of EWPs to landfill by 0.5 million tonnes at end of life. The project will support ten NWE businesses to adopt the new technology and produce a range of adhesive free EWPs. This will have additional benefits leading to competitive advantage, economic growth and sustainable jobs. The new technology will also contribute to the sustainable management of forests in NWE and connected rural livelihoods by adding value to locally available low-quality timber. The advocacy, influencing and business support activity undertaken in the Long Term Effects work package will sustain these positive impacts after the project has ended.

Medium