A concerted marketing effort is needed to create demand for recycled wood products, a meeting heard last week.

The Timber Recycling Opportunities in the North of England meeting was organised by Flora & Fauna International. Wood waste project manager Dr Georgina Magin said: “A key message from this workshop was that action is needed to link together supply and demand, so that recycled wood products can really take off in the very extensive mulch and animal bedding markets.”

Toby Beadle of Urban Harvest Ltd said the market for horse bedding in the UK currently stands at around £90m per year and the use of peat in the UK is about 6.5 million m3 per year – two examples of markets that could be penetrated by quality products made from recycled timber.

&#8220It is vital that the wood-using industry and the waste management industry think now about how to maximise the opportunities for woodwaste, so that they can stay ahead of the game and not get caught out by rising costs and new legislation”

Dr Georgina Magin, Flora and Fauna International

Dr Magin said: “It is vital that the wood-using industry and the waste management industry think now about how to maximise the opportunities for wood waste, so that they can stay ahead of the game and not get caught out by rising costs and new legislation.”

Fauna & Flora International is holding further regional workshops in Birmingham on April 28 and Bristol on May 12.