Wood Recycling: Why do we do it?

Wood has been used by people for thousands of years for nearly everything, from fuel for fires to furniture, houses, toys, and so much more. Due to this, it means that every year there are huge amounts of wooden products being wasted instead of recycled. The main issue here is that the very product of wood comes from some of the best fighters of pollution that the world has, trees. If a wood recycling process doesn’t occur, we’re not only causing more pollution than when disposing of it, but having chopped down the tree in the first place we’ve further prevented part of the eco-cycle being completed.

Recycling timber has become a major issue as of late, and the effects of deforestation have only been realised in the last few decades. With 1.84 million tonnes of wood wasted in the UK every year in the UK it’s easy to see why. Furthermore, globally, the current rates of wood use are not sustainable as the reduction in forested areas far exceeds that of re-planting and regrowth. It’s become crucial to find a more sustainable way to produce wood, rather than chopping down more trees whilst waiting for new ones to grow. In fact, recycling timber is the most environmentally friendly form of timber production that exists.

Wood recycling can manifest itself in many forms, the most common being old wood, broken down into chips in order to power homes or power plants. However there are a lot of companies out there who take old wooden products and turn it into something new, like an old bookcase becoming a picture frame. Furthermore, wood is very easily biodegradable, this allows people to put it into their compost heap in the form of sawdust and wood shavings.

Moreover, in today’s society, due to the ever growing consciousness of consumers regarding environmentally friendly practises, people actively seek out recycled timber in newer products to achieve a certain rustic look or for a way to meet their green goals. And it really does make such a huge impact when just a single tonne of wood can save 18,000 BTUs of heat energy.

With wood recycling, it is important to keep in mind that wood as a material can be cut down and reshaped with relative ease. In this sense it’s a good idea to keep reasonably sized pieces of wood to be used at a later date when completing future projects. However, if the piece destined for wood recycling is an actual product itself, such as a piece of furniture, it might be a good idea to look into donating it to a local charity or project.

As for businesses that use wooden packaging and products such as pallets, it’s important to note that you do not need to send those damaged or used pallets to landfill, but instead one should look into taking it to a company that recycles them. This again prevents unnecessary waste and often can be absolutely free of charge!