Since December, the new timber storage has been operational, marking an important step in further optimising the Wood4Wood concept. Over two years ago, W4W was introduced, with Anton van de Ven taking on the role of working foreman. Today, Wood4Wood is under the responsibility of Stefano Etneo, Production Manager at the Steel Service Centre of MCB.
Until recently, operations were carried out at two separate locations in Valkenswaard: at the Vest for sorting timber and at Kennedylaan for sawing. These two locations proved suboptimal, partly due to limited available space, which made efficient working difficult. With these factors in mind, it was decided to make optimal use of the Vest location and consolidate the two work sites. The goal is to reduce the waste flow from 26% to 5% by repurposing timber for multiple uses and giving it a second life.
The new timber storage, measuring an impressive 32 metres wide and 54 metres long, offers the ideal solution to make the timber processing process more efficient and sustainable.
Operations in the new storage
In the new timber storage, the following activities are carried out:
Sorting of returned pallets:
• Pallets that can be reused directly.
• Pallets that need repair.
• Pallets that are dismantled to reuse beams and planks.
With sustainability in mind, sawdust boxes are now also being produced, fully made from recovered pallets from customers.
Future plans
In addition to current activities, the new storage offers space for future expansions, such as:
• Production of slit pallets.
• Custom cutting of beams and planks for internal use.
• Production of scrap boxes.
With the opening of this new timber storage, Wood4Wood takes an important step towards a more efficient and sustainable timber processing process. The combination of centralisation and optimisation contributes to a greater saving of timber and a reduced carbon footprint.