Recycling construction materials

Recycling wood from construction projects

Guide

Most types of timber can be recycled. Waste wood can come in a variety of forms from medium density fibreboard (MDF) to tree branches.

The main causes of wood waste are:

The categories of wood which can be recycled are:

manufacturing wood wastes
reclaimable and recyclable wood materials - from demolition and construction, including pallets, the wood is chipped for other uses, excluding architectural salvage
non-reclaimable and non-recyclable wood wastes - eg old fencing, laminated floor coverings and rotten windows and doors

However, there are some limitations to recycling wood, including:

limited waste management options and facilities on site
unknown levels of contamination
low profitability
limited marketplace - there are no real markets for reclaimed laminated wooden flooring as it often contains adhesives, plastics, mixed species of timber and surface finishes
practical difficulties in recycling wood - eg a skip of chipboard is hard to recycle due to the quantity of glue
local government policies

You can make simple yet effective changes to your site's operations to allow more wood to be recycled by:

allowing time for waste management planning
providing staff with training in waste reduction and health and safety
selecting a secure storage area to protect materials from accidental and weather damage
separating wood waste to avoid contamination
arranging transport for collection of waste