GROUPING Panels UIPP DE L'AF

The French furniture industry's Process Panel Group (UIPP) brings together manufacturers of "process" panels, i.e. particleboard, MDF and OSB.

The sites come from national companies and subsidiaries of European groups.

This heavy-industry sector, which operates continuously in 5/08, produces around 5 Mm3 of panels per year, for an annual consumption of around 4 M tons of wood.

Process boards are marketed almost exclusively for furniture manufacture and construction. They are also used for industrial packaging and DIY.

Process panels use a renewable raw material, "pulpwood", respecting the wood value chain, and the sites operate in a circular loop by using their by-products in the manufacturing process.