10017098An Innovative Circular Solution for Waste MDFClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKOver 80 million tonnes of MDF are produced every year with over 1 million tonnes being consumed in the UK alone. The volumes of MDF supplied into the furniture, joinery and retail sectors have increased dramatically in the last 20 years. As such, we are now seeing huge volumes of waste MDF enter the supply chain, estimated to be in the region of 600k tonnes per year in the UK (15% of all wood waste is thought to be MDF based and the Wood Recyclers Association states that 4 million tonnes of waste wood are produced yearly in the UK). Unlike other wood waste streams, no MDF is currently recycled. This is clearly unsustainable for such a commonly used product. MDF Recovery (MDFR) is a UK technology business that has developed a process which can break down the glue bonds holding MDF boards together, freeing up the high-quality wood fibres within without damaging them. This project will explore how this technology might be scaled up to be demonstrated at an industrially relevant scale. The fibres recovered from the process will be tested and used in trials with potential customers from the construction sector, particularly businesses that are active in the growing offsite, modular panel sector. A loose fibre insulation product will result, created from a natural fibre raw material source that doesn't currently exist. This project is a collaboration between MDFR and its industrial partner - Platts Agriculture. Platts is a successful manufacturing business and a market leader in the animal bedding market. Platts has access to large volumes of waste MDF from its existing supplier network and seeks to add value to this material. Platts will host the demonstration plant at its headquarters in Wrexham and work with MDFR to prove the technical and economic viability of this innovative 'circular' approach. The longer-term goal is to roll out the technology at commercial scale, producing and marketing a novel and sustainable source of natural fibre insulation. This loose fill product will be 'blown' into loft spaces and wall panels to improve the thermal performance of new and existing buildings - keeping them warm in the winter and, importantly, cool in the summer.