Garnica’s recent recognition by EcoVadis, ranking among the top 1% for environmental practices, marks a key milestone in its commitment to sustainability. In this interview with Wood & Panel, Jeroen Dickhoff, Chief Commercial Officer at Garnica, shares insights on how this prestigious achievement influences the company’s brand image, strengthens customer trust, and reinforces its dedication to sustainability.
WPE: Garnica’s recognition as one of the top 3% of companies in environmental practices by EcoVadis is a significant achievement. How do you perceive this recognition influencing Garnica’s brand image, and how has it strengthened customer trust in your sustainability efforts?
Jeroen Dickhoff: This recognition is a strong validation of our long-standing commitment to sustainability and responsible forestry. Our latest EcoVadis assessment places Garnica among the top 1% of companies assessed, reinforcing our credibility with customers, suppliers and partners who are increasingly seeking sustainable plywood and eco-friendly wood panel solutions.
EcoVadis is a trusted global reference for evaluating sustainability and responsible practices in supply chains, so this achievement directly translates into stronger customer confidence. It is also a source of pride and motivation for our team, as it confirms that our actions deliver tangible results.
Ultimately, this distinction strengthens Garnica’s reputation for sustainability, transparency and the responsible management of natural resources, supporting the industry’s shift towards more circular and bio-based solutions.
WPE: Garnica is committed to zero waste and circular economy principles. Could you elaborate on the strategies your company employs to ensure by-products are integrated into the production process or find new applications in other industries?
Jeroen Dickhoff: At Garnica we make use of 100% of the poplar tree, applying zero waste and circular economy principles throughout our production process. The main part of the raw material is transformed into our sustainable plywood panels, while the by-products —such as cores, bark, chips and sawdust— are recovered and reused both within our industry and in others.
Part of these by-products is used as biomass for self-consumption energy in our factories, which makes us more efficient and helps reduce emissions. Another part is employed in sectors such as paper, packaging or energy production, ensuring that the entire tree is fully utilised in different forms of eco-friendly wood solutions.
WPE: At interzum 2025, the theme was “Rethinking Resources: Circular and Biobased Solutions.” How did Garnica’s showcased innovations at the event align with this theme, and how do they contribute to the industry’s sustainability goals?
Jeroen Dickhoff: At interzum 2025 we introduced our Naturbind range of plywood panels, manufactured with a bio-based adhesive and no added formaldehyde, which represents a highly relevant step forward in terms of sustainability and health.
We also showcased multilayer panels produced with our new patching line, a technology that allows us to repair veneers and make better use of raw material, thereby reducing waste and increasing the availability of multilayer plywood.
Our stand was also an example of responsible resource use, built with our own panels and designed with reusable elements. In addition, we prioritised digital tools over printed brochures, avoided single-use plastics, offered sustainable giveaways to visitors, and recycled our waste.
WPE: The latest CNC featured wall by Digital Fabrication utilises Garnica’s Duraply®. Can you share the inspiration behind this project and how Duraply® contributed to its successful design and functionality?
Jeroen Dickhoff: This project is a real example of how our plywood panels are applied in practice. Digital Fabrication, a leader in custom interiors, wanted an architectural centrepiece that would be both functional and inspiring, showcasing their design and manufacturing expertise to clients.
They selected Garnica’s Duraply® plywood for the feature wall because it combines durability, lightness and excellent machinability, making it ideal for carving complex CNC patterns with precision. Its virtually void-free surface ensured a flawless finish, and its sustainable sourcing aligned with the project’s values.
WPE: Garnica has partnered with Designing Justice + Designing Spaces. What sparked this collaboration, and how does it align with Garnica’s values and commitment to sustainability and social impact?
Jeroen Dickhoff: Our partnership with Designing Justice + Designing Spaces shows how sustainable plywood panels can support architecture with social impact. DJDS is a nonprofit that reimagines justice spaces by creating environments rooted in dignity and community support.
For their Mobile Refuge Room, a modular housing prototype for people re-entering society after prison, they needed to meet strict fire safety codes for its exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt Design Museum.
They chose Garnica’s Fireshield® fire-rated plywood, a panel engineered to meet the safety certifications required in public buildings, which provided both compliance and the versatility needed for modular construction while preserving the integrity of the design.
WPE: Community Playthings chose Garnica’s Reinforced Globulus Maple panel for its children’s furniture line. Could you provide insights into this project and how Garnica’s materials helped meet the project’s unique needs?
Jeroen Dickhoff: Community Playthings, a company specialising in children’s furniture, was looking for an alternative to Russian birch plywood after the supply restrictions. They selected Reinforced Globulus Maple because it is a very similar replacement plywood in terms of performance, combining strength, lightness and aesthetic quality, with an excellent strength-to-weight ratio for demanding educational environments.
For this project, Community Playthings worked with panels in several thicknesses (6–18 mm), all machined with CNC technology to achieve precise cuts and joints without edge finishing. They also required a certified child-safe varnished version — specifications that made Reinforced Globulus Maple an ideal plywood solution for their furniture.
WPE: Garnica has previously showcased renewable energy initiatives, such as the photovoltaic installation at your Baños de Río Tobía 2 plant. Looking ahead, how do you plan to further optimise energy efficiency across your operations and continue advancing your sustainability efforts?
Jeroen Dickhoff: At Garnica, advancing energy efficiency and sustainability is a priority across all our operations. Today, 100% of the electricity we consume comes from renewable sources.
We are also investing in greater energy efficiency. In half of our plants we already have systems with specific monitoring by production line, and general monitoring is in place across the rest. Each site has energy managers and committees dedicated to identifying and sharing best practices.
The next milestone will be the implementation and certification of ISO 50001 in our Spanish factories by 2026, which will formalise our systematic approach to energy management.