Recycling At Home - Wood
Did you know that we use 50 million cubic metres of wood every year in the UK, two thirds of which is imported? And that almost half of this goes to make paper?Reasons To Recycle Wood -
Recycling wood has a positive effect on the environment because it means that less of the material is sent to landfill, where although it is biodegradable, it does still produce greenhouse gases. UK businesses produce somewhere in the region of 2 million tonnes of waste wood every year. Recycling waste wood means that less virgin wood is harvested, which is important.
It is worth noting here that some illegally logged timber does still find its way to the UK to be sold through timber merchants, so if you are buying new timber it’s advisable to check for the FSC mark on it – this refers to the Forest Stewardship Council which is a non-governmental organisation “dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests”. They are generally acknowledged and endorsed by Friends of the Earth, the Woodland Trust, Greenpeace and the WWF as providing a recognised standard for the industry.
What Wood Can I Recycle?
Household waste wood tends to be the surplus wood from DIY projects, or from furniture that is no longer required. All of these can be recycled.How Do I Recycle Wood?
As a householder re-use of wood should be a priority, otherwise your waste wood may be accepted by your local authority recycling centre. Furniture that is no longer required can be sold, or donated to a local charity for re-distribution to needy families in your area. If you take your waste wood to the recycling centre, then it may well be used for a variety of purposes, including mulch, pet bedding, chipboard, fuel or equestrian surfacing.
