The demand for sustainable products and production methods is driving renewed interest in wood as a renewable and environmentally friendly raw material. The recycling of wood-based materials, such as particleboard and fibreboard, is crucial in meeting this demand while conserving natural resources. This article reviews advances in the technology of wood-based material recycling, analysing the literature from the turn of the millennium to the present day, with a focus on pulping processes and their effects on physical and mechanical properties. The review identifies several established and emerging processes, including mechanical, thermohydrolyticand innovative ohmic heating processes, and notes that apart from the established processes, no other processes have been successfully scaled up to industrial application. A particular challenge remains in the processing of materials bonded with urea-formaldehyde resins, where recycling has a significant impact on particle geometry and adhesive residues, affecting product quality. Promising improvements in mechanical properties have been observed with resistive heating, suggesting potential for this technique in future recycling applications. Overall, this review highlights the need for scalable, efficient recycling solutions to meet industry sustainability goals.
Pfriem et al. (2025) studied this question.