Kronospan Polska Sp. z o.o. and Silva Polski Recycling have won the main prize in the ESG¹ Innovator 2025 competition in the prestigious ESG Visionaries 2025 category, organized by the Polish ESG Association. This is one of the most important awards in Poland's sustainable development field, granted to companies that not only declare ESG goals but also effectively implement them at both operational and strategic levels.

The award confirms that the development model implemented by Kronospan Polska, based on the circular economy, carbon footprint reduction, and responsible industrial transformation, is one of the most mature and scalable ESG solutions in the Polish industrial sector.

Closed-loop production

The competition jury recognised the project "Kronospan. We close the wood cycle in the production of wood-based panels", which exemplifies the transition from strategic ESG assumptions to real, measurable environmental impacts. Kronospan Polska has implemented a comprehensive circular economy (CE) model that integrates raw material sourcing, post-consumer wood recycling, board production, and energy recovery into a single coherent value system.

"We follow a simple principle: wood is too valuable as a raw material to be used only once. That is why, more than 20 years ago, long before it was imposed by the law, we established a dedicated subsidiary focused exclusively on recovery. We have invested in technologies that enable us to view an old wardrobe or pallet not as waste, but as a valuable resource" - said Paweł Hudaniec, Director of Recycling Purchasing

Photo caption: Accepting the award - Paweł Hudaniec, Director of Recycling Purchasing, and Dominika Sęk, Sustainability Manager.

Recycling protects forests

The project involves the reuse of post-consumer wood as a fully-fledged raw material for the production of chipboard and MDF. This approach significantly reduces the demand for primary wood and reduces the use of forest resources, supporting climate and environmental goals. One of the key factors that determined the award of the main prize was the scale of the project's implementation. As part of the national wood recycling system, over 400,000 tonnes of wood are reused annually, in cooperation with thousands of partners nationwide.

Kronospan boards with a negative carbon footprint

The result of this model is wood-based panels with a negative carbon footprint in the production phase (A1-A3), as confirmed by independent EPD environmental declarations². This means that each cubic metre of the product not only does not increase greenhouse gas emissions, but also actively contributes to the storage of carbon dioxide in durable industrial products.

Business of the future

The jury of the ESG Innovator 2025 competition emphasised that the activities of Kronospan Polska and Silva Polski Recycling are an example of the business of the future, in which ESG is an integral part of the operating model. The use of advanced technologies for sorting, cleaning, and cascading wood allows for high production efficiency while reducing emissions and waste.

Sustainable production for sustainable construction

Kronospan products are widely used in sustainable construction and in projects that meet the requirements of international certification systems such as LEED, BREEAM, and DGNB, supporting the decarbonisation of the construction and furniture industries. The title of "ESG Visionaries 2025" also confirms the social dimension of Kronospan Polska's activities. The wood circulation closure project supports local governments in achieving higher recycling levels, creates stable jobs, and contributes to the development of a national circular economy ecosystem.

Kronospan sets the direction, rather than following others

The project's recognition by an independent panel of ESG experts strengthens Kronospan Polska's position in its relations with banks, investors, and regulatory institutions. The main ESG Innovator 2025 award confirms that the company is setting the direction for the transformation of Poland's wood and building materials industry. Kronospan Polska sp. z o.o. shows that visionary ESG is a measurable, scalable and profitable business practice that genuinely supports climate neutrality and long-term economic value.

¹ ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is an acronym for a set of criteria for assessing companies' activities in terms of their impact on the environment (E), social engagement (S), and corporate governance (G).

² https://www.epdhub.com/