The Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) marked 25 years of serving the waste wood industry at a landmark anniversary Conference, Awards and evening Celebration at the Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club near Birmingham yesterday (July 2).
The event attracted more than 160 delegates from across the waste wood sector and wider resources and waste industry, including industry leaders, regulators and VIPs.
The occasion served as both a celebration of the waste wood sector’s achievements over the past quarter century as well as a look forward at future challenges and opportunities over the next 25 years.
The Wood Recyclers’ Association was founded in 2001 when a small group of wood recyclers came together to advocate for the sector with the conviction that their voices were stronger together.
At the time, the main market for waste wood was the panel board industry, which processed around 400,000 tonnes of material a year and the wood recycling industry was really starting to take off.
Twenty-five years on, both the WRA and the industry it represents have grown significantly.
Today there are markets for all 4.5 million tonnes of waste wood which arises in the UK each year and the waste wood industry and its end markets contribute £1.2 billion to the UK economy each year, while contributing to resource efficiency, landfill diversion, energy security and net zero.
Meanwhile, the WRA has grown to have over 120 members, representing 90% of all waste wood processed in the UK.
Conference
The morning Conference session and Awards were hosted by award-winning magician and speaker Ben Hanlin, who recounted the history of the WRA, before delivering some mind-blowing magic tricks and giving a powerful speech on the Power of Human Connection.
Elsewhere the morning programme featured an expert panel discussion on the circular economy chaired by Dr Adam Read MBE, chief external affairs and sustainability officer at Suez UK and a presentation on the waste wood sector’s contribution to energy security and net zero from Troy Aharonian, Associate Director of the Net Zero Transition at Madano.
A highlight of the morning was the WRA Awards, which recognised outstanding achievements and innovation across the sector. The awards honoured organisations and individuals who have demonstrated excellence in areas such as environmental best practice, innovation and advocacy.
You can read more about the awards and award winners here.
In the afternoon, the event featured insightful presentations from Chris Deed, Deputy Director of Waste and Resources at the Environment Agency; Vicki Hughes, WRA Technical Lead and new President of CIWM; and, Jonathan Wood, Chief Commercial Officer at Sustainable Aviation Fuel company NOVA PANGAEA TECHNOLOGIES.
Mark Hayton, Chair of the WRA, said: “Reaching a quarter of a century is no small milestone and is testament to this industry’s resilience, innovation and above all, shared commitment to make better use of one of our most valuable natural resources.
“This industry has come so far in a relatively short space of time and we look forward to what we can achieve together over the next 25 years.”
Celebration
The formal proceedings were followed by an evening celebration with lawn games and BBQ, providing attendees with the opportunity to reflect on 25 years of industry progress while networking with peers and colleagues.
The event was kindly supported by headline diamond sponsor Seras and gold sponsors including Blue Machinery; Doyle Machinery; EGGER Timberpak; Enva; letsrecycle.com and RWM Expo; and Vermeer UK & Ireland.
The celebratory atmosphere reflected the strong sense of community and collaboration that has been central to building a robust, professional and forward-thinking sector.
Mark said: “Reaching 25 years is a significant milestone, but it’s also a moment to look ahead. Wood recyclers are at the forefront of the circular economy, and by continuing to work together and advocate for our sector, we can unlock even greater environmental and economic value in the years to come.”