MARKET IN WOOD BY-PRODUCTS IN POLAND AND THEIR FLOWS IN THE WOOD SECTOR

Wood by-products, i.e. waste from consecutive stages of roundwood processing in the production of wood materials and products, are significant in the rational management of raw wood material resources. They are a supplementary source of wood - an alternative to primary sources. This article presents results of research on the market of wood by-products in Poland in 2015, their resources and flows in various applications. Due to the lack of full and reliable information on the Polish market in those products, the research was based on a methodical solution using a model approach supplemented with a fragmentary survey and expert's knowledge. The research revealed that potential resources of wood by-products created in the wood sector in Poland amounted to more than 13 million m(3) in 2015 (with imports included, the quantity was 14.8 million m(3)), of which it was estimated that 6.2 million m(3) was intended for material processing, 5.8 million m(3) for energy purposes, and approximately 1 million m(3) for other purposes. It also showed that 61% of those resources (9.1 million m(3)) was directly used in the wood sector for both production and energy purposes.