Wood
The UK currently consumes about 3% the world's wood, yet has only about 1% of the world's population (WasteOnline). Clearly the UK needs to reduce its wood consumption. To achieve sustainable levels the UK will have to reduce its consumption of primary wood products by approximately two-thirds of 1990 levels (source: Friends of the Earth ).
Packaging Regulations
Reduce
Off-cut timber from manufacturing processes is a major source of wood waste. In some cases this can be reduced by reviewing both the steps made in manufacture, and the sizes of wood purchased from suppliers.
Although reviewing manufacturing is a complicated process, it can be a very profitable step. By redesigning or re-evaluating steps in manufacture of wood items, businesses can save twice - firstly by reducing the amount of waste they need to dispose of, and secondly by reducing the purchasing costs of the 'raw' wood they need to use in manufacture.
For advice on reviewing manufacturing waste visit Envirowise
Reuse
Even where manufacturing techniques cannot be changed, it is possible that off-cuts can be useful to other businesses, or for use in other product lines. Wood shavings may be useful as packaging material or for gardening, stabling or petcare businesses.
Recycle
There are a number of options for recycling wood waste. For information on pallet recycling click here. Organisations that collect wood may reuse it to produce new items, or chip it to produce energy.
If you are an organisation that collects waste wood and would like your service to be added to this list, please contact us.
| Elder Stubbs | Tel: 0118 944 8847 07899906201 |
Rymers Lane opposite Florence |
| Email: recycling@oxford.gov.uk | ||
| This family run business collect sawdust which is then mixed with biofuel and will soon produce pallets out of sawdust. Also collect chemically treated (but not painted) sawdust which is then incinerated. They will collect 35 cubic yard bins (5 skips full) for £ 220 and provide bins but do not collect normal size skips. | ||
| G V Recycling | Tel: 01635 247017 Fax: 01635 247 636 |
38 Willowside |
| Contacts: Geoff Edwards and Victoria Edwards | ||
| This family run business collect sawdust which is then mixed with biofuel and will soon produce pallets out of sawdust. Also collect chemically treated (but not painted) sawdust which is then incinerated. They will collect 35 cubic yard bins (5 skips full) for £ 220 and provide bins but do not collect normal size skips. | ||
| Oxford Wood Recycling | Tel: 01235 861 228 | Unit 46a, Milton Park |
| Contact: Helen Porter or Richard Snow. Email: info@oxfordwoodrecycling.org.uk | ||
| A social enterprise which collects waste wood and timber from businesses in the Oxford region (Swindon to Aylesbury, Banbury to Basingstoke): up to 12 cubic yards (approx 80 pallets) or 1.5 tonnes per load. Charges are lower than for a skip; minimum charge is £110. We sell rescued timber and sheet materials at low prices. Open for wood sales normal working hours during the week, and from 9-1 pm on Saturday. | ||
| The Pathway Workshop | Tel: 01865 714 111 Fax: 01865 715111 |
Dunnock Way |
| Contact: Mike Kyle. Email: enquiries@pathway-workshop.co.uk | ||
| A charity employing disadvantaged adults that makes and sells garden furniture, nest boxes, trellises from reclaimed timber. They reuse and recycle up to 260 tonnes of timber annually and off-cuts are used as firewood while sawdust go to stables. Pathway accepts donations of untreated softwood lumber but does not accept wooden pallets, wood off-cuts or sawdust and will collect large amounts of wood upon request. | ||
| UK Wood Recycling | Tel: 01642 452 044 Fax: 01642 452 055 |
UK Wood Recycling Ltd |
| Email: info@ukwoodrecycling.co.uk | ||
| UK Wood Recycling takes pallets as well as many other wood types, excluding hazardous woods such as those used in railway sleepers and utility poles. Their collection service covers the UK, with costs depending on the size of the collection and the quality of the wood. It is more cost effective to sort the wood before they collect because a mixed batch will be priced based on the lowest quality wood present in the mix. Wood is recycled to produce a range of products or is chipped for fuel for Wilton 10 Biomass Power Station. | ||
| Wood Recycling Service Ltd | Tel: 01727 855 600 Fax: 01727 834 499 |
Appsond Lane |
| Email: Use the form on the website | ||
| Wood is collected nationwide. Ring for their rates. They have a wood recycling facility in London which will take commercial and public waste wood. They also provide a complete wood shredding and site clearance service. Their chipped wood is sold to the equestrian and horticultural markets. | ||
WRAP provides a wood recycling information service, Recycle Wood, which has a comprehensive list of wood recycling services and companies selling recycled wood products.
