The Problem of Wood Waste: Where does it come from?

Every little thing we do leaves its mark on the planet. From simply driving a car every day to work to getting takeout food for lunch, no matter how small the act is, it will impact the environment in one way or another. Thankfully, because of the rise of environmental consciousness, more people are continuously taking steps to lead a more environmentally sustainable life. From switching to metal straws to bringing their own reusable cups to coffee ships, more people are now committed to lessening their carbon footprint.

 

However, individuals can only do so much. Companies and large corporations should exert more effort when it comes to becoming less harmful to the environment. Business interests are often in conflict with environmental interests because of the resources used. This does not mean that companies cannot take active steps in recycling their waste and minimising any risks they pose to the environment. 

In the UK, more than 4.5 million tonnes of wood waste is generated in a year. However, only half of this is properly recycled. Wood waste can include bark, lumber, sawdust, and ash from burning the wood waste. 

This waste wood can come from several different sources.

 Construction

Wood waste from the construction industry consists of different sorts of wood waste such as solid wood, chunks of plywood, and broken pallets. Because of the various types of wood waste from this industry, recycling wood waste from construction is harder as different kinds of wood waste is recycled differently.

Demolition

Second to the construction sector, demolition contributes around 1 million metric tonnes of wood waste in a year. In this industry, the produced wood waste mostly consists of old bricks and salvaged parts such as fireplaces and sinks. Today, demolition commonly occurs through large excavators compared to cutting down parts using chainsaws. This new process makes it hard for wood to be saved. Again, as with the construction sector, various types of wood waste are generated from demolition which makes it harder to recycle.  

Municipal wood waste

Generating around 1 million metric tonnes of wood waste, municipal wood waste comes from the domestic waste stream which includes broken furniture, old walls, and unused kitchen units. Out of all the leading sources of wood waste, a very little amount of reusable wood comes from this stream.

Proper wood waste disposal should be prioritised by businesses, especially companies that belong to industries that generate a lot of wood waste. Wood recycling repurposes old wood scraps into something useful and can be made into a new wood product by refinishing it.

No matter what the industry, companies should uphold sustainability in their operations and reduce their negative impact on the environment.  

Make a difference with LKM Recycling

LKM Recycling can handle your business’ wood waste for you. We provide wood waste collection and recycling. With our years of experience in wood scrap recycling, we aim to help companies properly dispose of their clean wood waste. Contact us today and let’s discuss waste management solutions for your business.