Recycling fibreboard on an industrial scale has long been a challenge, as separating it from other recovered wood was not technically possible. To tackle this, EcoReFibre partner Dieffenbacher (DIEFF), a global leading manufacturer of production plants for the wood-based panel and recycling industries, is developing a novel line of wood waste processing equipment.

At the core of this innovation is a smart sorting line capable of identifying MDF within mixed wood waste streams. Using advanced scanner technology and machine-learning-trained sensors, the system recognises different types of wood waste in real time.  Once separated, the recovered fibreboard and solid wood are processed into defined sizes and shapes, making them suitable for use in a wide variety of new products. With Demo A, fibreboard recovery moves closer to a practical industrial solution.