Wood-based panels

• For the Wood-based Panels Group, market monitoring is important, both in terms of domestic demand and exports. A powerful system of statistics has been developed for this purpose, both at Belgian and European level, the latter via the European Panel Federation (EPF);
• In technical terms, it is mainly European standards that are important. Thanks to Fedustria's participation in the European working groups on particleboard, fibreboard and OSB, companies have access to all the information they need;
• Promotion of wood: ‘Wood. A natural choice’;
• When it comes to the environment, all developments are closely monitored. The Group's companies have all signed an environmental benchmarking agreement with the Flemish government, in which they commit to being world leaders in energy efficiency;
• On the promotional front, the group is a strong defender of the use of wood panels as a ‘carbon sink’. All the environmental benefits of wood panels are listed in various publications. The European reference work ‘Wood: Building the bioeconomy’ is also systematically used in the sector's contacts with the authorities.

The fact that wood panels play an important role in the construction sector's transition to a circular, bio-based sector is also confirmed by Europe. For example, in its Circular Economy Action Plan, Europe refers to the potential of wood in construction as a long-term carbon store. Various European sector federations and knowledge institutions established the Wood4Bauhaus alliance for this purpose – a platform for knowledge-sharing and promotion of the use of wood in construction.

The wood panel sector is not only a model for a circular economy, but is also a sector that continues to innovate and move forward in recycling wood waste.

Various raw materials are needed to produce wood-based panels material. The combination of these raw materials ensures that an optimum final product is obtained, which more than meets the strict regulations in terms of both indoor climate and construction
requirements.