This systematic literature review delves into various wood waste valorization and classification approaches, aiming to evaluate their efficacy in fostering sustainable wood resource management while enhancing the economic value of wood waste. By synthesizing findings from a diverse array of research studies, the review highlights the multifaceted nature of wood waste valorization, emphasizing the critical role of sorting and separation technologies in ensuring high-quality recovery of materials. It also identifies the wood classification practices in Europe, which are crucial for creating a harmonized valorization framework that aligns technological advancements with regulatory standards. The analysis reveals that integrating these components—technologies, sorting methods, and classification practices can significantly improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of wood waste management. Furthermore, the review identifies existing gaps in research and practice, providing actionable recommendations for stakeholders aiming to optimize wood valorization waste systems. These recommendations emphasize the necessity for a holistic approach and a clearly defined, comprehensive framework for wood valorization that considers all elements involved in the process. By addressing these areas, the review not only aims to contribute to the body of knowledge in wood waste valorization but also seeks to promote sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and the economy, paving the way for a more circular approach to wood resource utilization.

The growing need for sustainable biomass use has led to the development of decision support tools that investigate the implementation of biomass valorization methods. Most existing tools focus on minimizing supply chain costs and emissions, often lacking a holistic approach that integrates economic, social, and circularity principle factors. This paper introduces the Biomass Valorization Recommender tool, a decision facilitation system developed to support biomass producers, policymakers, and technology providers in selecting optimal biomass valorization pathways. The tool applies a multi-criteria analysis that incorporates biomass quality characteristics, the biomass pyramid and waste hierarchy principles, and socio-economic indicators to evaluate potential valorization pathways of the selected biomass feedstock and technology. The scoring methodology generates a ranked inventory of biomass valorization pathways, such as food ingredients, chemicals, materials, biofuels, and energy production. Additionally, the tool evaluates co-digestion feasibility for anaerobic digestion applications, as well as biogas production potential, and provides biomass roadside cost data to enhance decision-making. A theoretical example in Italy using the industrial fermentation process demonstrates its applicability in biomass valorization solutions within a circular economy framework. This tool aims to identify and assess feedstock valorization opportunities for stakeholders seeking to increase feedstock flexibility and reduce waste by promoting sustainable biomass management, circular economy, and bioeconomy principles.

This systematic literature review delves into various wood waste valorization and classification approaches, aiming to evaluate their efficacy in fostering sustainable wood resource management while enhancing the economic value of wood waste. By synthesizing findings from a diverse array of research studies, the review highlights the multifaceted nature of wood waste valorization, emphasizing the critical role of sorting and separation technologies in ensuring high-quality recovery of materials. It also identifies the wood classification practices in Europe, which are crucial for creating a harmonized valorization framework that aligns technological advancements with regulatory standards. The analysis reveals that integrating these components—technologies, sorting methods, and classification practices can significantly improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of wood waste management. Furthermore, the review identifies existing gaps in research and practice, providing actionable recommendations for stakeholders aiming to optimize wood valorization waste systems. These recommendations emphasize the necessity for a holistic approach and a clearly defined, comprehensive framework for wood valorization that considers all elements involved in the process. By addressing these areas, the review not only aims to contribute to the body of knowledge in wood waste valorization but also seeks to promote sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and the economy, paving the way for a more circular approach to wood resource utilization.

Background The circular economy is implemented at different levels from Urban Industrial Symbiosis to Hubs4Circularity proposing systemic solutions, integrating multiple regional stakeholders, and introducing a variety of operational models to different regional settings and sectoral needs. Previous work has been conducted within Horizon Europe projects, creating matchmaking frameworks that use multicriteria methods, mainly focusing on waste streams and stakeholder compatibility to create efficient collaboration and valorization paths. Most of these frameworks were dedicated to specific resources such as water, technical specialties and technological processes. However, to support Hubs4Circularity concept materialization, there is a need to align symbiosis synergies identification and implementation not only with technical aspects, but also with locality and spatial patterns, considering local strategies, economy, society, and authorities, using regional science methods. Methods This study focuses on the integration of regional settings and dimensions, including regional characteristics, spatial patterns, local and national strategies, resources and waste status, infrastructure and capacity, social, environmental, and economic status, and other special needs or local challenges -all these named as “Regional Scenery”- into the matchmaking framework. The collected information about the regions is translated into tables that encode them into quantitative parameters, so to prioritize the identified synergies according to their significance, value, and impact to each different area. Results The result is a detailed framework to prioritize all the identified symbiosis synergies, and therefore enable decision-making features for local industries, businesses, authorities, and policy makers according to regional needs and priorities. This framework will be validated via the digital platform of IS2H4C Horizon Europe project. Conclusions This research sets a baseline and creates a pathway for further specialization and improvements, by expanding this regional context, including more regional aspects and parameters, while maintaining an equilibrium between the quality of granular data and practical issues on availability of data.

Background The circular economy is implemented at different levels from Urban Industrial Symbiosis to Hubs4Circularity proposing systemic solutions, integrating multiple regional stakeholders, and introducing a variety of operational models to different regional settings and sectoral needs. Previous work has been conducted within Horizon Europe projects, creating matchmaking frameworks that use multicriteria methods, mainly focusing on waste streams and stakeholder compatibility to create efficient collaboration and valorization paths. Most of these frameworks were dedicated to specific resources such as water, technical specialties and technological processes. However, to support Hubs4Circularity concept materialization, there is a need to align symbiosis synergies identification and implementation not only with technical aspects, but also with locality and spatial patterns, considering local strategies, economy, society, and authorities, using regional science methods. Methods This study focuses on the integration of regional settings and dimensions, including regional characteristics, spatial patterns, local and national strategies, resources and waste status, infrastructure and capacity, social, environmental, and economic status, and other special needs or local challenges -all these named as “Regional Scenery”- into the matchmaking framework. The collected information about the regions is translated into tables that encode them into quantitative parameters, so to prioritize the identified synergies according to their significance, value, and impact to each different area. Results The result is a detailed framework to prioritize all the identified symbiosis synergies, and therefore enable decision-making features for local industries, businesses, authorities, and policy makers according to regional needs and priorities. This framework will be validated via the digital platform of IS2H4C Horizon Europe project. Conclusions This research sets a baseline and creates a pathway for further specialization and improvements, by expanding this regional context, including more regional aspects and parameters, while maintaining an equilibrium between the quality of granular data and practical issues on availability of data.