Sonae Arauco announces an investment in two new recycling centres in Portugal, totalling more than Euro 5 million. Strategically located in the Minho region and north of Lisbon, these two centres will complement the activity of the three already operating in the country. This investment, part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR, in Portuguese Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência), will be completed by the end of 2025.
According to the figures released, Sonae Arauco incorporated a total of 734,000 tonnes of recycled wood in 2023, with wood recycling being the basis of its circular bioeconomy business model. In this respect, the company currently incorporates more than 70% of recycled wood in some of its product ranges, and expects to reach 85% in certain geographies over the next three years. If we consider the company's entire portfolio, recycled wood represents 30% of the total used, which compares favourably with the average of 21% in the European wood-based panels industry.
Over the next two years, Sonae Arauco plans to invest around Euro 13 million to ensure its objectives of integrating more recycled wood. This investment will include the purchase of equipment for recycling centres and industrial units, ensuring greater efficiency in the processing of wood waste and increasing the capacity to incorporate a greater quantity of recycled wood into particleboard solutions. At the same time, the company is developing innovative technologies to make it possible to incorporate recycled wood fibres into MDF solutions.
Currently, in Portugal, under the management of Ecociclo, Sonae Arauco owns three recycling centres located in the districts of Porto (Alfena - Valongo), Setúbal (Seixal) and Coimbra (Souselas). In Spain, the recycling company is called Tecmasa and manages nine centres. The aim is to increase wood collection at its recycling centres by 60% by 2034, reaching a figure 150% higher than that achieved in 2014.
Sonae Arauco is a major global player in wood solutions for furniture and construction.
