FINLAND –   Finnish wood specialist Koskisen, known for its century-long expertise in sustainable timber and panel products, has successfully piloted a circular economy project with retail giant Kesko.

The initiative reuses discarded wooden packaging—such as pallets—from Kesko’s distribution chain as raw material for particleboard manufacturing.

As part of the pilot, Koskisen developed Finland’s first industrial recycled wood cleaning process, ensuring that particleboard made from recycled wood matches the quality of boards made with virgin material. “Increasing recycled content in our particleboard is a key sustainability goal. This breakthrough allows us to produce high-quality, circular economy products without compromising performance,” said Tom-Peter Helenius, Director of Panel Industry at Koskisen.

Koskisen estimates it can integrate up to one truckload of recycled wood daily into production. This innovative step not only reduces waste but also helps sequester carbon in long-lasting wood products.

With Finland lacking large-scale solutions for wood waste recycling—248,000 tonnes of construction wood waste were generated in 2022—this initiative marks a significant move toward responsible resource use. Antti Auvinen, Director at Kesko, highlighted the project as a model for sustainable business, bringing circular solutions and added value to both companies and consumers.

Koskisen and Kesko plan to integrate this recycling process into regular operations starting summer 2025.