Wood-based panel industry in Europe

EUR 22 bn turnover every year

100,000 jobs

more than 5,000 enterprises

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.