Why Recycle?
The UK generates an estimated 10.5 million tonnes of waste wood each year from the construction and demolition sector, commercial and industrial manufacturing and from households. The Environment Agency estimates that around 80 per cent of this waste wood currently ends up in landfill, and as wood is biodegradable it can contribute to greenhouse gas production as it rots in these landfill sites.
Wood is one of our country’s most precious natural resources and whilst using waste wood is a sustainable alternative to using virgin timber it also makes good economic sense to buy recycled wood chip. The growing, harvesting and processing of virgin timber itself depletes natural resources whereas recycled wood has a much lower moisture content plus it lasts longer and uses less energy during processing.
Another reason to recycle wood is that increasing landfill taxes and haulage costs makes its disposal extremely expensive.
More uses for different grades of wood waste are being found each year and recycled wood is used in the panel board industry and extensively for landscaping and animal bedding. Increasingly, waste wood is used as a renewable fuel for energy production.
