Wood-based materials manufacturer Egger has announced that Timberpak, which supplies it with carbon-negative chipboard panels, has opened a new six-acre recycling site in Leeds.
Timberpak is said to have invested over £30 million into its UK recycling operations over the past two years, and the result is this new site, which it says will offer the best wood recycling facilities in the UK. It was officially opened by local MP Hilary Benn.
The site will process 150,000 tonnes of recycled material each year, with the potential for this figure to increase by as much as 50% as the demand for recycled wood is forecast to continue to grow.
Egger has used Timberpak to source recycled wood for over 20 years, and the material is used to produce the carbon-negative chipboard panels that are used in Egger’s production sites in Hexham, Northumberland and Barony.
The new recycling facility features two picking lines, a slow-speed electric shredder, and a stockpiling system. Timberpak has also reported that delivery documentation at the facility will be paperless, and over 1,280m of solar panels have been installed on the roof of the main building.
As well as helping to promote sustainability, the opening of the facility has also created new jobs in the area, with more said to be in the pipeline as the site increases production rates.
Mark Hayton, a director at Timberpak, said: “We are delighted to have commissioned our new site. Not only will it increase our capacity and future proof our business, but it will further improve the high-quality customer service we pride ourselves on.
“The investment reinforces our commitment to make more from wood, and it will benefit generations to come by continuing to store the carbon absorbed by the wood during its growth.
Egger has also commissioned a new recycling plant to be opened at its Hexham production site.