Supplies
Recyclers’ yards have been bulging since the Sonae fire in June 2011 pumped 1200 tonnes per day back into the system. Gate fees have risen and panel board mills have dropped their prices or upped their specifications. It will be interesting to see the impact when Sonae re-opens.
Markets
RWE’s Markinch biomass facility opens in 2012. Others will follow; how many, we cannot predict. The tussle for feedstock between biomass and the panel board industry will intensify. Prices must rise.
Legislation and Regulation
The limit tonnages for exemptions double in April 2012, forcing more recyclers to seek permits. Planning and other issues may prevent some from doing so.
We hope that 2012 will see an improved consistency of approach from the regulators in their dealings with wood recyclers.
Industry Standards
The wood Quality Protocol (QP) is mired in a technical swamp because the Food Standards Agency have withdrawn their support for animal bedding’s inclusion. This in turn has frozen the publication of our much needed industry standard, PAS111. We will work with the EA and WRAP to get the QP completed and PAS111 published.
Peter Butt, executive director, Wood Recyclers Association (WRA)
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