Polish wood industry seeks regulatory changes to improve recycling

The Polish wood industry is facing significant operational hurdles due to unclear legal regulations regarding wood waste and by-products. According to a report by Polityka Insight, approximately 1.3 million tons of wood waste and wood-based materials are generated in Poland annually.

Industry representatives, including Waldemar Zawiślak of EGGER Biskupiec, argue that current laws classify production residues, such as dust, as waste rather than by-products. This classification prevents companies from fully utilizing these materials within their own facilities for technological energy production. Instead, companies must transport and pay for the disposal of these materials by specialized firms, which increases costs and hinders the transition to a circular economy.

In response, joint parliamentary committees for Deregulation and Environmental Protection have adopted a desideratum addressed to the Prime Minister. The document calls for addressing legal and procedural barriers that limit wood recycling, specifically focusing on the classification of production residues and the reduction of lengthy administrative procedures.