Staying Ahead of 2026 Formaldehyde Limits
2nd December 2025
Managing future formaldehyde emission levels and how MDF Recovery can help
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring compound found in unexpected places like tomatoes and trees. It is also produced at an industrial scale for use as a glue, coating or preservative. Because of the known health concerns linked to formaldehyde exposure, the wood based panel industry has faced increasing attention over how it uses formaldehyde based binders.
Over the past decade manufacturers have improved production standards so that modern MDF and other panels now release far lower amounts of formaldehyde. Today panels in Europe are made to the E1 limit of 0.1 parts per million. New requirements under the EU REACH Regulation, specifically Annex XVII which includes the restriction on formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing substances, will lower the limit again to 0.05 parts per million in 2026. This is a significant step and will influence the way manufacturers manage both raw materials and resin systems.
At the same time there are strong sustainability drivers toward including recycled fibre in MDF. Recycling of MDF adds new considerations. Any change in feedstocks or resin behaviour can influence emission levels in the finished product. High quality fibre will therefore play a major role in helping manufacturers meet the future E0.5 threshold.
MDF Recovery’s process is designed to produce clean and consistent recycled fibre suitable for this next phase of the industry. Our technology promotes hydrolysis of the glues found in waste MDF and operates at low temperature and low pressure. During recycling the glues break down into smaller water soluble fragments. These fragments can then be washed away as part of the process. Removing these residues is important because formaldehyde emissions come from free molecules that remain unbonded in the resin system.
Alternative recycling techniques that rely on steam explosion do not fully hydrolyse the resin. They mainly separate fibres by rapid pressure release and mechanical force. As a result much of the resin can remain on the fibre surface. When this type of fibre is used again in board production it can contribute to higher emission levels.
Our approach helps to reduce resin residues in recycled fibres that can contribute to formaldehyde emissions. Our process ensures that the recycled fibres pass through a controlled hydrolysis and wash stage. The process removes more of the resin fragments, resulting in a cleaner fibre.
Our technology can more ably support manufacturers as they prepare for the lower emission limits under the updated EU REACH Regulation and as they work toward producing boards with recycled content that still meet the strict performance requirements expected in the market.
MDF Recovery’s technology is ready to support this transition and help manufacturers plan for a more sustainable and compliant future.