Post-consumer wood (PCW) is a valuable resource that can partially substitute virgin wood in material applications. This communication paper presents key findings from a study that analysed PCW collected from three recycling facilities in southeastern Norway over eight months. A total of 20 mixed and 4 pre-sorted PCW samples were evaluated regarding their material composition, particle geometry, and contamination with heavy metals. Manual sorting and laser-based particle analysis showed that 39–67% of the mixed PCW samples consisted of clean solid wood, whereas this share increased to 61–87% in pre-sorted PCW. Coated and uncoated wood-based panels contributed significantly to contamination and influenced the resulting particle geometry. Pre-sorting effectively reduced fibreboard residues and improved particle quality. Heavy metal concentrations were below EPF limit values on average, but individual samples and the fine fraction (<8 mm) exceeded these limits, especially for arsenic, copper, chromium, or lead. The findings underline the importance of pre-sorting and sieving practices to improve PCW suitability for material recycling and safe downstream applications.

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