Editing Lumber (section)

== Secondary raw material ==
The term [[Raw material|''secondary raw material'']] denotes waste material that has been recycled and injected back into use as productive material. Lumber has a high potential to be used as a secondary raw material at various stages, as listed below:

;Recovery of branches and leaves for use as fertilisers
:Timber undergo multiple processing stages before lumber of desired shapes, size, and standards are achieved for commercial use. The process generates a lot of waste which in most cases is disregarded. But being an organic waste, the positive aspect of such waste is that it can be used as a fertiliser or to protect the soil in severe weather conditions.
;Recovery of [[woodchips]] for thermal energy generation
:Waste generated during the manufacturing of lumber products can be used to produce thermal energy. Lumber products after their end-of-life can be [[downcycle]]d into chips and be used as biomass to produce thermal energy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=cramer |first=marlene |date=2020-11-02 |title=Insights in Timber Recycling and Demolition |url=https://blogs.napier.ac.uk/cwst/timber-recycling-and-demolition/ |access-date=2022-09-07 |website=Centre for Wood Science & Technology |language=en-US}}</ref> It is beneficial for industries that need thermal energy.

Circular economy practices offer effective solutions concerning waste. It targets its unnecessary generation through waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. There is no clear explicit evidence of circular economy in the wood panel industry. However, based on the circular economy concept and its characteristics, there are opportunities present in the wood panel industry from the raw material extraction phase to its end-of-life. Therefore, there lies a gap yet to be explored.<ref name=":0" />