Osiris by Unilin: World’s first industrial MDF/HDF recycling technology

Unilin is a European manufacturer of flooring, decorative panels and insulation solutions. Founded in the sixties in south-west Flanders, Belgium, the company has circularity in its DNA. Its very first boards were made from flax waste – an early example of turning local industry by-products into valuable resources. Over time, flax gave way to wood waste, and today Unilin is recognised for producing particleboards with over 95% recycled wood, the highest percentage in the world. This deep-rooted commitment to circularity led to the development of Osiris. In 2021, Veronique Hoflack, President of Unilin Panels, began testing an idea in her kitchen, frustrated that MDF – unlike particleboard – remained unrecyclable. Her pressure-cooker trials laid the groundwork for a technological breakthrough: a patented process to reclaim fibres from MDF and laminate flooring waste. After two years of successful testing on an industrial pilot line at Unilin’s MDF/HDF site in Bazeilles, France, the company announced a €20 million scale-up investment in 2024 to establish the world’s largest fully circular MDF/HDF facility. Backed by the French State under France 2030 and ADEME, with support from La Région Grand Est, this state-of-the-art plant will be fully operational by September 2025. A milestone for the whole industry. Beyond in-house application, Unilin will license the technology to industry peers, marking a pivotal step towards global circularity in wood-based panels and flooring.

Potential future developments

Osiris offers a scalable and pragmatic contribution to the circular wood economy. By 2030, Unilin aims to replace 25% of its MDF wood mix with fibres recovered from MDF and laminate waste – reducing dependence on virgin resources, lowering carbon emissions, and improving energy efficiency in production. The €20 million investment in Bazeilles, France, lays the foundation for a potential European benchmark in circular MDF and laminate manufacturing. The model is designed for replication: Unilin makes the patented technology available through licensing, encouraging wider uptake within the EU panel and flooring industry. To support this, Unilin partners with Dieffenbacher – a leading reference in the wood-based panel industry – enabling licensees to access both the technology and engineering support from day one. While the current focus is on launching in Bazeilles, Unilin is also evaluating broader application within its own network. The company has two other MDF sites – one in Ussel, France, and another in Vielsalm, Belgium. Osiris will also be linked to existing wood collection programmes, such as the Recover initiative, to increase access to post-consumer MDF and laminate waste streams. While technical progress is essential, long-term success will require investment in improved sorting systems and supportive policy frameworks. Collaboration with public and private partners will be key to delivering climate benefits and strengthening Europe’s raw material resilience.

Current contribution

Osiris directly supports the EU bioeconomy by enabling the circular use of MDF – a widely used material in European construction and interior design that, until now, could not be recycled. Unilin’s industrial-scale recycling technology keeps valuable wood waste out of incineration, helping to extend carbon storage and significantly reduce the environmental footprint of new MDF panels and laminate flooring. The new recycling line in Bazeilles, which is currently being finalised, will process up to 70,000 tonnes of recycled fibres per year. By 2030 Unilin aims to replace 25% of its MDF wood mix with recycled fibres from MDF and laminate flooring waste. That way, the company can store up to 380,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, equivalent to the emissions from 211,000 cars. Unilin actively involves customers via take-back programmes and licensing to other manufacturers, creating a ripple effect across Europe’s panel industry. Developed, tested, and scaled in France with European partners, Osiris embodies a “Made in Europe” innovation that fosters regional employment, reduces raw material dependency, and strengthens Europe’s leadership in sustainable manufacturing.

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