At the Festival of the New European Bauhaus 2026 , EcoReFibre showed how post-consumer fibreboard can become a resource for new products. Held from 9 to 13 June 2026 under the theme Life. Spaces. Buildings., the Festival gathered researchers, businesses, educators, policymakers and creative communities to explore more sustainable, inclusive and high-quality living environments. Represented by InnovaWood, EcoReFibre was presented at Booth 45, hosted by the NEB Academy Alliance in the Festival’s Piazza. The shared space connected projects developing innovative materials and construction solutions with the NEB Academy’s focus on education, training and skills development.

At the booth, visitors could discover how EcoReFibre is developing solutions to sort post-consumer wood waste, recover fibres and fines, and return them to productive use. An animation guided visitors through the project’s recycling process, while publications and material samples presented technologies and products being developed across the EcoReFibre value chain. The project’s Strategic Roadmap outlined the actions needed to advance the implementation of fibreboard recycling in Europe. Together, these resources showed that circular construction also depends on what happens when furniture, panels and building components reach the end of their first use. Recovering materials from post-consumer fibreboard for use in new fibreboards and building products can retain the value of wood resources for longer and reduce demand for virgin raw materials.

The festival provided an opportunity to consider the knowledge and capabilities needed to apply new recycling solutions. This connection was relevant within the NEB Academy, which promotes education and upskilling for the sustainable transformation of the construction sector. While technical performance is essential, implementation also requires professionals and organisations to understand new materials, processes and opportunities for collaboration. Discussions with visitors and other exhibitors highlighted the need to connect material recovery and product development with skills across the value chain, from waste collection and sorting to manufacturing, design and construction.

EcoReFibre’s participation brought fibreboard recycling into the New European Bauhaus debate on how existing resources can contribute to the future of buildings and wood-based products. By developing pathways to transform post-consumer fibreboard into secondary raw materials, the project demonstrates how technological innovation can keep wood resources in the loop and contribute to more resource-efficient use of wood in the build environment.