36 | Focus on Italy: PAL
1. New feedstock source: The recovered fibre offers a consistent, high-quality alternative to virgin wood. Trials show fibre quality and length comparable to virgin material, making it suitable for MDF, insulation, and other fibre-based applications. This helps relieve pressure on virgin timber supplies – a growing issue in Europe amid tighter forestry restrictions and increased biomass demand.
2. Reduced dependence on virgin wood: A recent AFRY study forecasts a shortage in Europe’s wood supply to meet future bio-economy needs. Scaling the PAL–MDFR technology allows manufacturers to close the loop on their own waste, reducing exposure to volatile timber markets, supporting long-term supply security, and mitigating the predicted deficit.
3. Carbon and energy benefits: Recycling MDF consumes less energy than producing fibres from virgin wood and keeps carbon locked within the material cycle, supporting emission reduction goals.
4. Circular economy alignment: The technology keeps wood products in use for longer, maximising the value of existing biomass and supporting the wood cascading hierarchy. It turns a disposal cost into a feedstock opportunity, generating measurable ESG value and helping manufacturers meet both regulatory and corporate sustainability targets.
5. Scalability and integration: As a leading systems specialist, PAL ensures this technology can be integrated into existing MDF production lines, providing a turnkey route from waste to fibre recovery.
Together, PAL and MDF Recovery are establishing a viable commercial model for MDF recycling – one that strengthens Europe’s wood resource base, improves environmental performance, and enables a genuine circular flow of materials across the wood-based panel industry. Beyond the technical benefits, this collaboration reflects a shared vision in which resource efficiency, innovation, and environmental responsibility act as interconnected drivers of sustainable industrial growth. Among PAL’s most significant ongoing projects is the MDF fibre recovery plant for UK MDF mouldings manufacturer W Howard. The plant is currently under construction. This initiative exemplifies PAL’s ability to translate technological expertise into concrete solutions addressing the evolving sustainability targets of global panel producers. The W Howard plant integrates PAL’s latest
technologies for MDF separation, cleaning, and processing into a closed-loop system designed to maximise fibre recovery while ensuring high product quality and consistent
throughput. By adopting such a system, W Howard is taking an important step toward reducing waste and dependence on virgin raw materials – an objective that aligns perfectly with broader environmental and industry goals. For PAL, this collaboration confirms the effectiveness of its strategy to work closely with customers in developing next- generation recycling solutions that can be replicated and scaled globally.
INNOVATION AND RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE In parallel with external projects, PAL continues to invest heavily in its internal R&D infrastructure. The company has recently expanded its technology laboratory, installing a new flash dryer for fibres and developing a prototype disaggregator designed to test and optimise the entire MDF recovery process on a pilot scale. These facilities enable PAL’s engineering
teams to simulate full-scale plant conditions, analyse fibre quality, and validate process performance under controlled parameters. This capability accelerates innovation while ensuring that every new system meets the company’s rigorous standards for reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance. Through these investments, PAL is building a dedicated competence centre for MDF recycling technologies – an asset that strengthens its role as a global technology partner supporting the industry’s transition toward circular and economically sustainable production models.
RESPONDING TO EMERGING CUSTOMER NEEDS Market trends clearly show that panel producers are prioritising production flexibility, process automation, and energy efficiency. The growing need to adapt to alternative raw materials – such as recycled wood and non-traditional fibres – is
reshaping how industrial plants are designed and managed. PAL responds to these evolving needs through a collaborative, customer-oriented approach. Working side by side with manufacturers, the company co-develops systems that integrate real-time process monitoring, intelligent control, and advanced material handling technologies. These solutions improve operational continuity, enhance product quality, and lower production costs. As a result, PAL’s systems are increasingly
recognised as strategic assets within modern production facilities – platforms that combine reliability, adaptability, and digital intelligence, while aligning with customers’ sustainability and productivity goals.
A VISION FOR A CIRCULAR AND COMPETITIVE FUTURE PAL’s evolution is guided by a clear strategic direction: to merge technological innovation, industrial competitiveness, and environmental responsibility into a unified model of sustainable growth. The company believes that the future of the wood-based panel industry depends on its ability to close material loops, improve energy performance, and leverage data-driven control systems for consistent quality and operational stability. By aligning its R&D priorities with these trends, PAL contributes to shaping a new generation of production plants – facilities that are more efficient, flexible, and intelligent. These next-generation plants will support global efforts toward resource conservation, climate neutrality, and circular manufacturing. As the sector enters a new phase of
technological transformation, PAL reaffirms its role as a global enabler of change – a partner committed to delivering innovative solutions that drive efficiency, sustainability, and long-term value creation across the entire wood-based panel industry. ●
Above: The PAL disaggregator is designed to test and optimise the entire MDF recovery process on a pilot scale
WBPI | October/November 2025 |
www.wbpionline.com
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