New life for construction waste wood

Construction waste wood gets a new purpose

After concrete, construction waste wood is the largest waste material in Finland, but its recycling use has been limited. The project “Käytöstä poistunut puumateriaali kiertoon” (Recycling discarded wood material) PUMASKA is investigating ways of processing wood waste to make it usable. The results are promising: for example, one processing method, where wood is treated with steam and ground, has shown similar and sometimes even better results in germination trials than peat. 

Peat substitution is necessary

Peat is an excellent growing medium, but substitutes should be found for ecological reasons. Alternatives that have been explored in the past include wood fibre, coconut fibre and moss. The steam-treated waste wood now under investigation offers an ecological alternative that takes advantage of the circular economy and reduces waste.

Further research will focus on the long-term properties of the material and its suitability for commercial use. In addition to Aalto University, the project involves the University of Eastern Finland and Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK). The project is co-funded by the European Union.