BWF Technical Director Kevin Underwood discusses how good workshop practices, storage and careful ordering play a vital part in managing wood waste.
Timber and timber-based materials are a key asset for woodworkers and should be used in the most effective way to reduce waste and get the best value from this important resource. Good workshop practice can reduce the waste created during the manufacturing process while good design and employing processes to improve the durability and stability of the materials, reduce maintenance, upgrade performance and extend working life can reduce the demand for more raw material to manufacture replacement products. When timber products finally need to be replaced then re-using the materials can give them another lease of life.
Good workshop practices can ensure that these precious commodities, from which the joinery, carpentry and fit-out products are formed, are used in the best way and in the minimum volumes necessary to produce the desired products. Having invested in these materials the organisation should use as much of the resource as possible in value-added operations and limit the amount that needs to be handled as waste.
Ordering the correct amount of material for the required work will minimise the volume that has to be handled and stored which reduces the risk of damage. The materials must be stored carefully, properly supported to prevent distortion in dry, well-ventilated locations and protected from direct sunlight. It is desirable that timber and timber-based materials are used at a moisture content that matches the in-use moisture content. Managing the storage arrangements will also manage moisture content.
Buying the most appropriate material for the desired finished quality can reduce the amount of material that is used. Less material is likely to be rejected as not meeting the quality standard. Lower grades of materials may be lower in price but these may need to have certain features removed, or repaired, in order for the material used in a finished item of the correct quality. These processes use repair materials and labour and can generate waste. Laminated or modified timbers can be more stable limiting the amount of material rejected due to movement. Errors can also lead to waste. The old adage, “measure twice cut once” comes to mind.
If waste material is created during the manufacturing processes it should be handled appropriately. Off cuts of a size that can be re-used in production must be identified and stored so they can be brought back into the workflow. Wood chips should be collected to avoid contamination and precautions must be taken at all times when handling waste wood to eliminate the health risks associated with wood dust. Materials that have been wasted due to quality issues should be quarantined before disposal to ensure they do not find their way back into the production process.
When, finally, the timber products come to the end of their service life consideration must be given to the correct processing of the various components. The Wood Recyclers Association has recently published its document, “Waste Wood Assessment Guidance for the UK Waste Wood Industry.” With support from Government departments and industry bodies this guide, “will ensure that waste wood is properly classified at its origin and processed into appropriate end markets.” This system can be used to grade the material from clean, untreated, pre-consumer materials through to more industrially processed materials.
Materials such as solid softwood and hardwoods, sawn timber offcuts or scrap pallets could go on to be repurposed for manufacturing of animal bedding, landscaping surfacing or it may be used as biomass. Further processed materials such as those from board products or demolition can be used in further board production. Material from products such as agricultural fencing, telegraph poles and railway sleepers are likely to require processing at an appropriately licensed facility.
