Holzbriketts aus gepresstem Sägemehl auf einem Förderband in der Produktion

Closed value chain at Pfeifer

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Comprehensive use of raw materials and circular material management

In an economy with reduced use of fossil raw materials, wood plays an important role as a renewable raw material. As a renewable raw material, wood can replace fossil raw materials in numerous applications. In view of limited resources, the common goal of forestry and the timber industry, as well as policymakers committed to achieving climate targets, is to use wood efficiently and keep it in material use within the economic cycle for as long as possible.

Luftaufnahme eines dichten Mischwaldes mit Nadel- und Laubbäumen sowie sichtbaren Rückegassen

Cascade use

So-called cascade use – as many use stages as possible for wood through to energy use at the end of the product life cycle – enables multiple material use stages and can thereby reduce the need for primary raw materials. Another option is circular use, in which wood is used again as a secondary raw material after its first use. The aim of the circular economy is to close the material cycle of wood as far as possible by making once-used wood available to the economy again as a secondary raw material. Waste and by-products from wood processing are used effectively by turning them into a source of new resources.

Zwei Pfeifer-Mitarbeiter in Warnschutzkleidung beobachten den Holzeinschnitt im Sägewerk; im Vordergrund ein Baumstamm auf dem Förderband

Comprehensive use of the raw material at Pfeifer

Pfeifer aims to use all components of the roundwood used. The resulting components of the roundwood are used as material or for energy. The upgrading process begins in the sawmill with debarking the logs and processing them into sawn timber using state-of-the-art scanner and sawing technology. High-precision machines can produce more usable sawn timber from one cubic metre of wood than before. Less material is lost and more wood products enter the utilisation cycle.

Efficient use of wood as a raw material

In addition to sawn timber and planed timber, Pfeifer produces high-quality wood products such as solid wood panels, glulam, formwork beams, shuttering panels and packaging timber. All parts of the trees are used to bring as much material as possible into the economic cycle. Pfeifer also uses the wood chips, sawdust and shavings generated in production to manufacture products or generate energy.

Kalksandsteine auf einem Förderband in einer Produktionsanlage, mit Dampf im Hintergrund

Pallet blocks

One example of this resource efficiency is the robust EUROBLOCK pallet blocks for the pallet industry, which continue to store the bound CO2.

Holzpellets stecken in den Löchern einer dunklen Metallmatrize bei der Pelletproduktion

Wood pellets and Wood briquettes

Sawdust is also used to produce wood pellets and wood briquettes. During combustion, the biogenic carbon previously bound in the wood is released again as CO₂.

Sägewerk mit gestapelten Holzbrettern, einem Gabelstapler und industriellen Trocknungsanlagen im Außenbereich

Biomass power plants

In addition, wood residues such as bark are used to generate energy in modern Pfeifer biomass power plants.. Part of the heat generated dries the wood, while the rest is used for power generation and fed into the public grid.

Techniker mit Schutzhelm und Warnweste inspiziert eine große Industriemaschine in einer Produktionshalle

Waste wood recycling in Uelzen

With the waste wood recycling plant commissioned in Uelzen in 2024, Pfeifer is taking another important step towards resource conservation and circular economy. Here Pfeifer processes regionally delivered recycled wood from wooden pallets, packaging and construction timber that can no longer be reused into pressed wood pallet blocks for the pallet industry. This returns valuable secondary raw material to the economic cycle and further optimises raw material use.

Mitarbeiter in Warnschutzkleidung prüft verpackte Holzware mit Pfeifer-Branding auf einem Außengelände, im Hintergrund ein Gabelstapler mit Holzstapeln

Mitarbeiter in Warnschutzjacke kontrolliert verpackte Holzpakete mit Pfeifer-Branding auf einem Außengelände neben einem Gabelstapler

Conclusion: Circular economy as an essential part of the corporate strategy

By consistently implementing a closed value chain, Pfeifer uses roundwood and the resulting by-products as comprehensively as possible. From the first processing step with optimised raw material yield to the upgrading of sawmill by-products and the reuse of waste wood, every element contributes to establishing a resource-efficient economy.