Wood-based panel industry in Europe

EUR 25 bn turnover every year

100,000 jobs

300 million tonnes (10% to 20%) of CO2 reduced emissions in Europe if full potential of wood (sink and substitution effects) were to be used in buildings

4m3/sec excess of growth of forests annually compared to harvesting in Europe thanks to sustainable management

What is a wood-based panel?

Wood-based panels combine wood in different forms (fibres, sawdust, chips, flakes and veneers) into sheets of differing thicknesses and constructions. Formed under heat and pressure typically with the addition of a synthetic adhesive (some fibreboard products utilise the natural binders found within wood), panels are engineered to provide a wide variety of strength and other physical attributes that enable them to satisfy a wide variety of end uses particularly in the building products and furniture industries.

The broad categories of wood-based panels manufactured by European Panel Federation members include:

Within these broad categories, there are a multitude of value added variants available with enhanced characteristics which is why today wood-based panels are used extensively in the home, in modern furniture and in construction. Although often hidden beneath coatings, veneers and other coverings, or embedded in the structural fabric of a building, wood-based panels are ubiquitous in our society.

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