The number of scientific publications on the biological purification of preservative treated wood implies that the biological treatment of wood wastes becomes more and more important. But an information about a successful industrial application is almost missing in all cases. Therefore the applicability of the proposed purification processes is often uncertain. The feasability of such a biological process is assessed exemplary on a method developed at the Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products. After some large scale-up experiments the investigations were finalized in 1997. An industrial application is unlikely although the process worked in the lab-scale. This critical assessment shows, that - under the given legal restrictions of Germany - the process can not compete with other waste management processes. The evaluation includes the amount, availability and suitability of preservative treated wood waste as well as the process itself, the properties of the purified product and its possible use. The aspects taken into account upon the valuation of the BFH-process are drawn up in a check list. This check list might be a guide for assessing other biological processes and pin-point important questions which should be answered before the industrial application starts or before further investigations are initiated.

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