Unilin, a leader in innovative and sustainable interior and construction products, has announced a €20m investment at its Bazeilles production site for the industrial upscaling of its groundbreaking recycling technology for MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard), HDF (High Density Fibreboard) and laminate floors.
The new industrial installation converts MDF and laminate floors (with an HDF core) into fully recyclable products. What’s more, the patented technology also constitutes a major milestone for the industry as a whole because Unilin will also share its knowledge through licences to stimulate global recycling efforts to the maximum. The new installation will be operational from September 2025.
In 2021 Unilin announced a "world first" with the first recycling technology for MDF and HDF. Until then it had been technically impossible to recycle MDF and HDF on an industrial scale. With its first pilot line at its largest MDF/HDF production site in Bazeilles, France, the company has further industrialised and fine-tuned the groundbreaking technology over the last two years. Now Unilin is taking the next step with an entirely new industrial installation at its Bazeilles site. This also means that laminate floors, such as those from Unilin’s renowned Quick-Step brand, can now be recycled into entirely new products, as they have an HDF core.
“We know that today the recyclability of MDF, HDF and laminate floors is sometimes called into question," says Veronique Hoflack, President of Unilin Panels. "After two years of testing on our industrial pilot line, we have been able to ascertain the efficiency and quality of the new technology. This investment proves that MDF and HDF are fully recyclable. An absolute milestone for the industry!
"The new investment will have a capacity of 70,000 tonnes of wood fibres per year, or almost 30% recycled fibres on the production line where the technology is deployed. The next step consists of collecting sufficient MDF waste to drive our recycling installation. To collect this waste, we are setting up several take-back programmes with our customers and partners. We also hope to find an ally in the government by recognising the recyclability of MDF, HDF and laminate floors in order to motivate the general public to sort their waste. This way we hope to avoid the unnecessary incineration of valuable waste streams.”
