Is wood recyclable? The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Follow this guide on how to recycle wood properly. Plus, learn how you can reuse and repurpose your wood waste practically and creatively.
Is Wood Recyclable?
Yes, the good news is that wood is recyclable. There’s no need to send your old wooden furniture, paneling, and pallets to a landfill.
However, wood should not be placed in your curbside recycling bin. Wood can’t be recycled along with other items such as paper and cardboard. In fact, wood needs to be recycled at special facilities or larger recycling centers. If you have a lot of wood waste for recycling, there are companies across the US, like South Coast Skips, that will collect all your wood waste straight from your home.
Why Should You Recycle Wood?
Unfortunately, millions of tons of wood waste get sent to landfill every year. This is of major concern, as although wood is biodegradable, it takes a long time to decompose when in a landfill, releasing dangerous levels of methane gas while it does so. Methane gas is extremely damaging to the natural environment and is a principal contributor to global climate warming. And that is just clean wood. Painted and treated wood takes even longer to decompose and releases additional harmful chemicals into the environment simultaneously.
Also not to forget are the billions of trees that are cut down to make all the wooden products we use in our homes or for construction. Recycling wood is even more important because it helps to reduce deforestation, which in turn minimizes the impact of water and air pollution that deforestation causes.
By sending your wood waste to specialized centers, you are redirecting wood from landfills to be repurposed into new products like paneling, domestic furnishing, compost, mulch, and biomass for natural energy production.
What Kinds of Wood Can be Recycled?
Before you send your wood waste to be recycled, it is important to know what kinds of wood can be recycled, and which can’t.
Wood that can be recycled, a.k.a “clean wood”, is raw, untreated, unpainted and free from wood glue and preservatives. Wooden products that have been painted or treated, like gardening products or home decor and furnishings, most likely cannot be recycled.
Alternative Uses for Wood
If your wood is unrecyclable, there are still plenty of practical and creative things you can do with it. Reusing and repurposing your old wooden furniture or pallets is the most environmentally sustainable step you can take.
Alternative uses for wood include:
- Building Furniture: Leftover wood works great for building whatever your heart (or home) desires. Try making a coffee table, an outdoor swing, or a bookcase from your wood waste.
- Build a Unique Headboard: Leftover paneling from construction could be the perfect headboard. The best thing is, you can design and shape it into whatever you like to suit your bed and home decor.
- Compost and Mulch: Throw your wood waste into your compost pile and let it decompose, leaving you with natural and organic mulch for your garden.
- Planter or Compost Bin: Use old paneling and wood scraps to make your own planters or compost bin for your garden.
- A Bug Hotel: Follow our guide on how to build your own insect house so you can give bugs and bees a safe space to build their nests and survive the winter months.
Read more:
- How to Dispose of Your Christmas Tree Correctly This Year
- How to Remove Mould From Your Wood With Natural Remedies
- 7 Sustainable Home and Garden Uses for Coffee Grounds
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