I have been reading the “Why Waste” initiative with interest.
The facts are clear. Between 4.5 and 5m tonnes of “waste” (post-consumer) wood is generated in this country each year, a remarkably high proportion of it in the Yorkshire and Humber region. More than half of all waste wood goes to landfill. This is a disgrace, frankly. It’s also daft, when you consider that on average it will cost the dumper about £70 a tonne to get rid of it this way.
The wood recycling industry promises an outlet for waste wood that is not only much cheaper, but also offers a range of sustainable uses, depending on the quality. Practically all waste wood has a use of some sort. Wood recyclers will segregate incoming loads before chipping it, to ensure that the wood goes to the most appropriate and commercially viable end use. While the majority of it still goes into the panel board mills, the percentage is dropping as new markets emerge. An increasing amount of clean wood is finding its way into animal bedding and a variety of land applications – compost, mulches, pathways and so on where its properties guarantee an excellent product.
But the rising star is biomass fuel, and in 2009 no less than 495,000 tonnes was used in this way, an increase of 33% on the previous year. The vast majority of this was produced by members of the Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA). Biomass is a particularly good outlet for the lower grades of wood, so long as the boiler concerned has the appropriate emission controls. Boilers of this type are still in their infancy in this country, but there are several in planning at present and a tremendous future for biomass energy seems assured.
So the message is clear for everyone out there in Yorkshire and Humber who may have waste wood to dispose of. For goodness sake don’t send it to landfill. Instead, visit the web site for the Wood Recyclers’ Association – www.woodrecyclers.org – and click on “Members” to find your local wood recycler. The section is laid out geographically, so the search won’t take you long. Then give your local recycler a call; I’m sure he will be delighted to do business with you.
Peter Butt
Secretary, WRA