Cascading Utilisation of Wood Waste for the Development of Eco-Friendly Biocomposites within a Circular Economy Framework

The increasing generation of wood waste from forestry, wood-processing industries, construction, demolition, and end-of-life products presents both a major environmental challenge and a valuable opportunity for sustainable materials development. Conventional disposal practices, including landfilling and incineration, can result in resource losses and adverse environmental impacts. In contrast, cascading utilisation seeks to retain wood resources in successive, high-value material applications before their final recovery, thereby supporting resource efficiency and circularity. Recent advances in recycling technologies, bio-based adhesives, binderless production, and lignocellulosic composite engineering enable wood waste to be transformed into eco-friendly biocomposites with competitive properties and diverse applications. Nevertheless, challenges related to feedstock variability, contamination, processing, durability, recyclability, and industrial scalability remain. Addressing these issues requires integrated research encompassing material design, performance assessment, life-cycle evaluation, and circular end-of-life strategies.This Research Topic aims to address the scientific, technological, and environmental challenges limiting the efficient cascading utilisation of wood waste in high-value biocomposite applications. Despite significant progress, the large-scale adoption of wood-waste-based composites remains constrained by feedstock heterogeneity and contamination, inconsistent material properties, limited compatibility with polymeric matrices and adhesives, processing difficulties, durability concerns, and insufficiently developed recycling and end-of-life pathways. Contributions are therefore encouraged to advance innovative approaches for wood-waste sorting, characterisation, pre-treatment, fibre recovery, and surface modification, as well as the development of bio-based adhesives, binderless composites, hybrid materials, and biodegradable or recyclable matrices. Recent advances involving nanomaterials, additive manufacturing, advanced manufacturing technologies, predictive modelling, and performance optimisation are also highly relevant. Particular attention should be given to life-cycle assessment, resource and energy efficiency, industrial scalability, and the establishment of closed-loop or cascading material systems. By integrating materials science, engineering, and circular-economy principles, this Research Topic seeks to accelerate the transition from wood waste disposal towards sustainable, high-value material applications.This Research Topic welcomes interdisciplinary contributions on the conversion of wood waste into high-value, eco-friendly biocomposites through cascading and circular utilisation strategies. Submissions may address the following themes:• Wood-waste sourcing, sorting, characterisation, contamination control, pre-treatment, and fibre recovery;• Innovative bio-based adhesives, binderless technologies, recyclable or biodegradable matrices, and surface modification;• Development and processing of lignocellulosic, natural-fibre, hybrid, polymer-based, and nanomaterial-enhanced biocomposites;• Physical, mechanical, thermal, durability, and environmental performance, including modelling and optimisation;• Recycling, reuse, cascading applications, industrial scalability, life-cycle assessment, resource efficiency, and end-of-life management.Contributions should clearly demonstrate scientific novelty and relevance to sustainable materials development and the transition towards a resource-efficient circular bioeconomy. Topic editors: Petar Antov, Seng Hua Lee, Viktor Savov Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83837/cascading-utilisation-of-wood-waste-for-the-development-of-eco-friendly-biocomposites-within-a-circular-economy-framework