UK waste wood sector processed over four million tonnes in 2025. The UK processed 4.013 million tonnes of waste wood in 2025, 89 per cent of the total generated, according to annual statistics from the Wood Recyclers' Association. The figure is down 7.3 per cent on 2024 after unplanned outages at end-use plants created oversupply and squeezed storage.
Large-scale biomass remained the biggest end use at 2.459 million tonnes, a 12 per cent fall year on year, while waste wood used in panel board production rose slightly to 927,000 tonnes and reuse increased by 12 per cent. The Wood Recyclers' Association said constrained storage during periods of disruption had pushed some material into landfill and unregulated outlets such as illegal dumping.
Julia Turner, executive director of the WRA, said the sector "worked tirelessly to ensure material kept moving wherever possible" but warned that a small but significant proportion of waste wood was lost from the circular economy. She called for more flexible, risk-based regulation around storage to reflect the seasonal nature of the industry, adding that without it more material could reach illegal sites this summer.
