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40 TECHNOLOGY MAR/APR 2025 FDM ASIA | www.fdmasia.com

the panel industry. This context is in line with the concept of
industrial symbiosis, in which WW from the furniture industry
is incorporated to produce new wooden panels.
Therefore, it is appropriate to develop a network platform

to monitor the amount of available WW. This platform will allow
the panel industry to schedule its production with existing WW.
Threats are external variables that can create difficulties in
implementing the proposed products by the panel company. To
foster industrial symbiosis, it is necessary to create legislation
that encourages connections between industries.
In regards to the Circular Economy, there is a need for
The MCI showed a strong tendency towards circularity training interested parties and public policies are still incipient
and the LFI showed a low tendency towards linearity in the in this field. The availability of wood waste is sensitive to

analyses of the proposed panels that incorporate the WW fluctuations in the furniture market, but the panel industry
with raw material. must be programmed to work with only virgin wood during
Weaknesses are variables that can create unfavourable these periods.
conditions for the adoption of the products proposed by the In this context, it is important to highlight that there are
panel company. The factories in the state of Espírito Santo, still few large-scale produced options on the market to replace
Brazil, only have MDF in their portfolio; thus, the expansion of UF resin with more environmentally friendly products.
these factories would be required to enable MDP manufacturing. In relation to Scenario 3, the highlighted strengths positively

A thermo-hydrolytic treatment, in which wood fibres are influence the red ceramic industry, improving the brick produced
recovered, requires an increase in water consumption, and, and making it a more eco-efficient product. The incorporation
as a result, wastewater generated by the MDF manufacturing of 11 percent w/w of wood waste generates a reduction in
process will increase, which contributes to increased the amount of clay, making the product lighter.
environmental impacts. The sensitivity analysis also proved that the entire
The factory studied uses UF resin in the manufacture manufacturing process of the proposed bricks can receive
of panels, which was a relevant item in accounting for waste from the entire Metropolitan Region of Grande Vitória.
environmental impacts. Furthermore, a percentage of this Furthermore, the redesign proposal aimed at making the bricks
adhesive is added to wood fibres in the recycling process. more eco-efficient resulted in environmental gains compared

Therefore, more environmentally friendly solutions should be to products manufactured solely with clay.
pursued for the manufacturing of wood panels in Brazil. Weaknesses are variables that can create unfavourable
Opportunities are external factors that, when worked on, conditions, particularly concerning the Material Circularity
positively stimulate the panel industry, in the readjustment of Indicator (MCI) and Linearity Flow Index (LFI), which exhibit
MDF and in the manufacture of MDP. Furthermore, they bring moderate results.
environmental and economic benefits to the furniture industries, The production of solid brick is relatively low in the
also boosting CE in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. region under study, and an increase in demand could lead

The selection and sorting of WW must be improved so that to greater environmental benefits compared to the current
this material has added value and becomes raw material for annual environmental benefit of manufacturing this product.