W2W is a Horizon Europe project coordinated by ICCS, officially launched during its physical kick-off meeting in Athens on 19–20 February 2024. The project addresses the pressing challenge of how to better utilise the large quantities of wood waste generated from construction and demolition (C&D) activities and end-of-life furniture. Much of this material is currently sent to landfill or incineration, representing a loss of valuable resources and contributing to environmental impacts.
The project’s overall objective is to establish a comprehensive framework for cascade valorisation of waste wood. This means that materials will be recovered and reused in the most sustainable way possible, moving step-by-step through reuse, recycling, upcycling, and energy recovery only as a last resort.
W2W combines four core components to achieve this goal:
-Advanced separation & sorting technologies – including human-robot collaboration and mixed reality systems for more efficient wood sorting.
-Upcycling processes and technologies – using mechanical, chemical, and bioremediation methods to recover cellulose fibres, lignin, polyols, and bio-based adhesives.
-Digital tools for circularity – such as a Digital Product Passport, Material Flow Analysis, and Life-Cycle Sustainability Assessment to improve transparency and optimise value chains.
-Supportive framework – covering policy, standardisation, market analysis, business models, and skills development to ensure uptake and long-term impact.
With 26 partners from across Europe, W2W will demonstrate sustainable wood-based value chains in three large-scale use cases. These cover the production of clean wood, bio-composite materials, biopolymers, polyols, detergents, and nutrient recovery solutions. The project is expected to reduce demand for virgin raw materials, decrease landfill and incineration, enable new high-value products, and directly support the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and climate neutrality objectives.
