The Timber Circularity Project is focussed on determining how timber resources can be returned to the supply chain at end-of-life. Timber is a carbon neutral and renewable material, yet at end of life, less than 50% of wood fibre is recycled in Australia, with some jurisdictions recycling less than 2%. However, this includes biomass to energy recycling, rather than input into higher value products. With the Australian Government committed to a circular economy by 2030, it is critical that industry adopt solutions to recover fibre at a higher value. A matrix of potential solutions for reuse and recycling of treated timber and engineered wood products in Australia has been collated, including national and international technology to collect, sort, de-nail, and process end-of-life treated timber.
When timber cannot be readily identified in terms of its treatment or processing, it is classified as a regulated waste and needs to be dealt with accordingly. Sorting technology, for identification is required and the project team has been in discussions with TOMRA (www.tomra.com) to better understand sensor sorting technology and how it can be applied to construction and demolition waste. The project team is also looking at solutions for frame and truss offcuts and engineered wood products including particleboard, glulam and MDF. Case studies looking at opportunities for frame and truss offcuts and engineered wood products are being developed and documented, to drive change more widely in industry.
In addition to the case studies, an initial pilot project will be undertaken to investigate technology, logistics, and regulations around a solution. The pilot will focus on end-of-life CCA treated vineyard posts, which have now been quantified on a regional and national basis. Pyrolysis is one solution under investigation as it allows heavy metals to be locked up in biochar which also stores carbon and reduces the initial log volume by 90%. A trial of this technology is planned for late 2024/ early 2025 depending on gaining regulatory approvals. Professor Tripti Singh, Director of the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Lifer, and Dr Pene Mitchell, Project Leader, have recently visited Pyrocal in Toowoomba to better understand their pyrolysis process and potential for the technology to deal with the wood resource.
Other solutions, including adding chipped treated timber to particleboard and reuse of CCA treated posts for agricultural and landscaping applications, are also being investigated for pilot projects. The solutions require state EPA regulatory change or exemptions to proceed. To meet circular economy goals and better align the timber industry with a bio-circular economy, regulations will need to reduce anomalies and restrictions for moving and processing valuable resources. The project team are developing information sheets for regulators which will help advocate for change to better implement a timber circular economy.