Wood Grading Structure Released in UK

A grading structure which aims to clarify for the first time what kinds of recovered wood are suitable for different end markets has been published by the Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA). The four grades represent an important step towards developing the UK’s first fully-fledged standard for recovered wood, which is set to be produced by the Waste & Resources Action Program (WRAP), but requires more detail. In brief, the grades are:
•    Grade A: “Clean” recycled wood—material produced from pallets and secondary manufacture and suitable for producing animal bedding and mulches.
•    Grade B: Industrial feedstock grade—including grade A material plus construction and demolition waste, this is suitable for making panelboard.
•    Grade C: Fuel grade—this is made from all of the above material plus that from municipal collections and civic amenity sites and can be used for biomass fuel.
•    Grade D: Hazardous waste—This includes all grades of wood including treated material such as fencing and trackwork and requires disposal at special facilities.
The WRA has been working for some time to finalize the structure and has consulted widely, both among its members and with other stakeholders, including WRAP and the Wood Panel Industries Federa-tion which represents the largest current market for recycled wood, the panel-board industry.
“The purpose of the grading structure is to provide a simple and common understanding as to what grade of material is suitable for each main market sector,” said WRA Secretary Peter Butt. “We anticipate that over time it will become standard terminology within the industry. It will also be reviewed regularly as the industry evolves.”
The WRA stressed that the grading structure was not a set of specifications or a standard and therefore should not be included in contract documentation. However, it is
the WRA-recommended way of working.
Importantly, it provides a basis on which to build a recovered wood standard—something which WRAP is currently working on. This in turn is crucial to the EPA and WRAP’s forthcoming development of a Quality Protocol for recovered wood, which will define what standards recovered wood must reach in order to be classed a product rather than a waste, thereby freeing it from waste legislation and boosting customer confidence in the material.

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