Why Dried Bark Is Becoming a High-Value Commodity
Wet bark has historically been treated as waste, often difficult to store, transport and process. The surge in demand for landscaping mulch, decorative bark, bark nuggets, and horticultural blends has changed the market dramatically.
By drying bark:
- Its saleable value per m³ increases.
- The material becomes lighter and cheaper to transport.
- Screening and fraction separation becomes far more effective.
- Shelf-life and product quality improve significantly.
Dried bark is cleaner, easier to process and suitable for premium markets that require consistent, uniform, high-quality bark fractions.
Wet bark being loaded into the FlowDrya
Utilising Residual Heat for Cost-Effective Bark Drying
Sawmills not only have an abundant supply of bark by-product; they are also equipped with biomass boilers for kiln operations - a significant capital investment that is already in place. With access to low-cost wood residues as fuel, these businesses are well-positioned for energy-efficient kiln drying operations.
With a ready supply of low-cost residual heat that can be repurposed for bark drying, FlowDrya integrates seamlessly with the existing infrastructure:
- Uses surplus thermal energy
- Supports continuous or batch bark drying
- Scales to available heat and required throughput
- Operates with low labour input (which can often be expensive)
This gives sawmills a low-cost path to producing high-value dry bark products year-round and access to the growing premium markets that require dry bark, this includes nurseries, landscaping businesses and garden centres.
Wet bark on the FlowDrya drying bed
FlowDrya Increases the Value of Bark Through Superior Screening
Using FlowDrya equipment, dried bark can be efficiently processed and separated into valuable fractions. FlowDrya is unique in that it aids effective screening and separation of high value microchips from the main bark material, and also via sub floor screening, is able to remove soil, dirt and other unwanted materials from the high-quality bark material.
This allows for higher-quality end products, more consistent particle sizes and higher % rates of separation. These improvements translate into higher revenue from premium bark grades.
Screened sub-floor fines material extracted from the FlowDrya
Benefits of Dry Bark for Processing, Storage and Sale
Dry bark offers multiple advantages across the entire value chain:
- Increased saleable value per m³.
- More effective screening and processing.
- Higher yields of clean, uniform bark fractions.
- No microbial degradation, odour and/or moulding.
- Better long-term storage and consistently available bark inventory.
- Reduced clumping and higher flow rates per m³ through equipment.
- Better blending properties for horticultural and landscaping requirements, including in compost and biochar blends.
FlowDrya Lightens the Load
Reduced Transport Weight = Major Cost Savings
In addition to the vastly improved fraction separation percentage rates, dry bark is also considerably lighter, as shown in the table below. Through drying bark down to 20% moisture, FlowDrya increases profit potential per truckload.
- One full truckload instead of multiple trips
- Significant fuel savings
- Reduced transport emissions
- Higher profit per shipment
| Wet bark | Dry bark | |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture content | 60% | 20% |
| Bulk density | 350kg/m³ | 130kg/m³ |
The Business Case: Financial Savings through Moisture Reduction
Fresh bark typically contains 60–65% moisture, giving it a high bulk density of 350–420 kg/m³. * With European 3-axle articulated lorries limited to around 27 tonnes, only about 77 m³ of wet bark can be transported per load. Higher moisture = higher weight = fewer cubic metres per truck = more loads, fuel, labour and cost — all rising due to inflation.
FlowDrya reduces bark moisture to around 20%, dropping bulk density to approximately 130 kg/m³. This allows a full truckload to be delivered in a single trip, dramatically improving haulage efficiency. Transport comparison:
- Wet bark: 120 m³ capacity × 350 kg/m³ = 42 tonnes → more than one truck required
- Dry bark: 120 m³ capacity × 130 kg/m³ = 15.6 tonnes → one truck is sufficient
* Values vary with species (e.g., cork, periderm, phloem).
Drying improves product consistency, reduces waste, increases yields of premium fractions and enables sawmills to access landscaping, horticulture and decorative bark markets where prices are significantly higher. When combined with reduced haulage costs, lower labour requirements, continuous automated operation and the ability to use low-cost residual heat already available on site, FlowDrya offers substantial return on investment.
The result is a highly attractive business case: higher product value, lower operating costs and improved overall profitability from a by-product that previously generated minimal return.
Bark moisture content transport cost comparison
Dry Bark Applications, Uncovered
| Industry Sector | Business Types | Typical Uses | Format of Sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horticulture | Nurseries, Garden Centres, Landscaping firms | Mulch, soil conditioner, weed suppression | Bagged (e.g. 40L), Bulk (loose or in cubic meters), Pallet loads |
| Agriculture | Organic farms, Tree plantations | Soil improvement, composting, animal bedding | Bulk loads, Baled bark, Loose in trailers |
| Forestry & Timber | Sawmills, Biomass producers | Fuel, biochar, soil amendment | Bulk loose, Truckloads, Pelletised |
| Construction & Landscaping | Landscape architects, Contractors | Ground cover, pathways, slope stabilisation | Bulk delivery, Supersacks, Bagged decorative bark |
| Pet & Animal Care | Pet supply companies, Stables, Zoos, Ecommerce | Animal bedding, terrarium substrate | Compressed bales, Bagged (10L–50L), Sacks |
| Environmental Services | Erosion control firms, Soil restoration companies | Slope mulch, filtration media, land reclamation | Mulch, Bulk loads, Specialised bark mats |
Average UK Prices for Bark and Mulch Products
Prices are per cubic metre (m³), based on bulk loose or bagged quantities (approx. 1 m³ = 1,000 L).
Average UK Prices for Bark & Mulch Products per cubic metre (m³), 2025
High-Value Bark Fractions
Ornamental Bark Nuggets
Ornamental bark nuggets typically have the highest commercial value and decorative landscaping is one of the most common applications for dry bark. Bark nuggets help retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, insulate plant roots and deter pests, while their durability and natural and uniform appearance enhance their visual appeal.
Play Bark
Dry play bark chips are a low maintenance option that can be used as a soft, impact-absorbing surface for playgrounds. These are usually tested against safety standards (BS EN 1177) before application.
Fine Composted Bark
Composted bark or "green compost" can be added to soil blends as a peat-free alternative, to improve the structure, aeration and drainage of the soil.
Bark Mulch
Bark mulch can be used for landscaping and for soil conditioning and horticultural purposes. When bark decomposes in soil, it introduces organic nutrients into the soil, supporting the growth of healthy plants. Mulch is available in coarse, medium and fine grade standards.
Why Choose FlowDrya?
Optimising Bark Drying Performance
With FlowDrya, sawmills can convert what was once a low-grade by-product into a high-margin commodity. FlowDrya offers the following benefits:
- Energy efficient bark drying equipment
- Continuous bark drying process
- Uniform drying; consistently dry output
- Modular; able to be positioned in or outside
- Low labour costs with automatic operation and a large infeed hopper capacity
- PulseWave™ agitation for consistent drying
Stronga will design a flow dryer specifically to optimise your bark drying requirements. Get in touch with our friendly team today to discuss your bark drying project.
Discuss Your Bark Drying Project
Frequently Asked Questions
Dried bark offers multiple advantages: its saleable value increases significantly, it becomes lighter and cheaper to transport (130 kg/m3 vs 350 kg/m3 wet), screening and fraction separation becomes more effective enabling premium product grades, and shelf-life improves considerably as there is no risk of self-heating or degradation during storage.
FlowDrya features integrated sub-floor screening that removes soil, dirt, stones, and foreign materials from the bark during the drying process. This dual-function approach ensures the dried product emerges clean and ready for further processing or direct sale to premium markets.
Yes, the FlowDrya system is specifically designed to integrate with existing heat sources, including biomass boilers commonly found at sawmills. Using surplus thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted dramatically improves the economic viability of bark drying operations.
Dried bark serves multiple industries including horticulture (ornamental bark, mulch), agriculture (livestock bedding, soil conditioning), forestry (erosion control), construction (landscaping, play areas), pet care (animal bedding), and environmental services (oil spill absorption, biofiltration media).
Subject to customer availability, we can arrange site visits to this and other FlowDrya installations. Contact our team to discuss reference site visits appropriate for your bark drying application.