Recycling
Circular use of wood, from offcuts to energy
Sustainable processing of materials
At Van Gaeveren, we think in circular terms from start to finish. Residual streams from our production process are used as raw material for new applications and as an energy source for our own installations. Wood waste does not disappear; it returns in another form.
What remains goes to the construction sector as a raw material or fuels our wood combustion installation, which in turn provides heat for our drying chambers. In this way, we maximize the use of materials, become largely independent of fossil fuels, and actively contribute to a sustainable and environmentally friendly processing of materials.
Wood fibres are reused and processed in various applications within the construction sector, such as the panel and flooring industry.
From residual wood to construction materials and energy
Wood fibres for the construction sector
Every pallet we produce leaves behind wood residues such as cut-off pieces, shavings, and offcuts. Instead of treating this wood as waste, we collect it and pass it on to partners who process it into construction materials such as chipboard, fibreboard, and flooring. In this way, one piece of wood has multiple lives: first as a pallet, then as a fully-fledged raw material in construction. A pure circular principle.
Biomass energy from our own residual streams
The finer fractions that are not suitable for reuse in construction materials are given a second life with us as an energy source. We reduce the wood waste and use it in our own wood combustion installation, which provides the heat for drying our pallets. This creates a closed loop: residual wood from our production supplies the energy for the next batch of pallets. In this way, we maximize the use of residual streams, become largely independent of fossil fuels, and close the loop in line with a circular economy.
On the way to a zero-emission future
A zero-emission policy is not achieved in a single step. It is built through conscious choices: in production, transport, recycling, and investments.
Minimal waste streams
through efficient use of materials in our production
Reuse of wood
as a raw material for the construction sector and as biomass energy without harmful emissions
Smart transport planning
for fewer kilometres and lower CO₂ emissions
Modern machinery and vehicles
that comply with the latest standards and operate more efficiently