Wrap identifies a total of seven contaminants as follows: surface treatments, metals, glass, paper, plastic, rubber and chemical treatments. Two of these in particular, chemical treatments and metals, are of specific relevance when attempting to recycle structural wood components on a large scale. All manner of chemical treatment can be commonly applied to structural wood, from weather protection to waterproofing.
With its layers of adhesive bonding, glulam provides a particularly pertinent example of the recycling problems presented by chemicals. Metals are another considerable recycling impediment and can range from relatively small ironmongery such as nails and screws to large structural fixtures such as frames and spandrels.
The obvious answer is to remove the metal but this can be painstaking, costly and cause a big headache for recyclers, as Wrap explains. Ferrous metals, such as nails, can be removed using magnets. But non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium and brass fittings, may be removed by an eddy current separator.
All of which, of course, adds additional time, cost and complexity to the recycling process; elements which may ultimately contribute to making wood recycling a less attractive option than landfill. And the issue of how much wood the UK sends to landfill is critical. Timber is commonly thought of as being an easily recyclable material whose natural characteristics and significant reuse potential offer solid environmental credentials. However, the reality is somewhat different. The Circular Revolution was a report commissioned by Imperial College London and compiled by international waste recovery specialists Veolia.
It was published this summer and it makes for some startling reading. Every year the UK disposes of 10 million tonnes of wood, but only 1 million tonnes of this is recycled. Apart from the economic cost, this also represents a significant environmental loss.
This is why the amount of wood the UK sends to landfill is a highly contentious political as well as ecological issue and exact figures vary wildly.
The following year, after receiving responses from experts and the industry, they decided against the proposition on the grounds of complexity and cost, choosing instead to raise landfill taxes. While acknowledging the scarcity of accurate figures, at the time Defra stated that the UK sends around , tonnes of wood to landfill, significantly below the figures estimated by both Veolia and the WRA.
Introducing an outright ban may have imposed additional costs on some businesses but a phased ban would have created new opportunities for the timber and energy industries and could have been a significant new source of low-carbon heat and power.
So why is so much wood sent to landfill and why is so little of it recycled? Despite the obvious environmental benefits, some of the common concerns cited against wood recycling are centred on cost-effectiveness, practicality and quality. About Us Latest News. Privacy Policy Cookie Policy. Benefits of Using Recycled Timber. What is Recycled Timber? Uses of Recycled Timber There are several different qualities of recycled timber, and each has its own uses.
Benefits of Using Recycled Timber There are multiple benefits of using recycled timber, which vary depending on the grade and what you are going to use the wood for. When very mature trees are harvested, this therefore means the wood from them stronger and more durable, because they contain more heartwood. Recycled timber usually comes from very mature trees, as it was harvested a long time ago, when there were more older trees available.
Conversely, new wood often comes from younger trees, and is therefore slightly less durable. Environmentally Friendly. There are two main reasons that using recycled timber is better for the environment. Looks Beautiful. As well as making reclaimed timber stronger, having more heartwood in timber means that it looks more unique and visually appealing. Negatives of Using Recycled Timber There are relatively few negatives of using recycled wood, but there are some things that might make it less appealing.
Related Posts. September 18th, August 11th, June 2nd, May 14th, Building with recycled timber is more like collecting antiques than buying Lego blocks. It pays to be flexible and to develop good relationships with reputable recyclers. For domestic building projects, there are important issues to consider including supply, design and workability. Mainstream awareness of the old-growth forest disaster has come a long way. On top of that, contemporary tastes increasingly place a premium on building materials with history, authenticity and a story to tell.
Recycled timbers are materials that have had a prior end-use, perhaps as flooring in a house or as beams from an old railway bridge, and the process of recovery and preparation is often labour intensive. In Australia, much of the recycled timber market focuses on local hardwoods such as blackbutt, jarrah and stringybark that are prized for their density and colours. There are also large quantities of long-ago imported material such as Baltic pine and French oak.
Some dealers now import recycled timbers from offshore, including China and Indonesia, but we would advise very close scrutiny of such offerings. Premium prices for recycled Australian hardwood timbers, including bridge timbers like spotted gum and ironbark, appear to be a major factor ensuring recycled timbers re-enter the building market. Expensive tip charges are also reducing the amount of reusable timber being dumped in landfills. A Sustainability Victoria market report gives some perspective, though.
About one-third of the , tonnes of timber waste that was generated in that state over that period was diverted from landfill. Less than half of that diverted material was re-used; and the vast majority was for low-grade uses such as packaging and mulch.
Recycling involves re-deploying the timber in a roughly similar application — without significant changes to cross-sections, but often a lot of effort is expended on preparation such as removing bolts and nails. Much of the character of such material derives from all the bolt and nail holes and distressed marks. French oak wine barrels, for example, which are re-milled and used for floorboards.
While the Forest Stewardship Council offers certification that could technically be relevant, even reputable dealers rarely apply it to recycled materials. Legitimate dealers will know where they sourced the material from, and will know the exact woolshed, factory or house demolition.
Flooring is one of the major uses for recycled timber. Reputable recycled timber dealers will be able to provide detailed information about the quantities available, the species, previous use, and details such as whether it was previously protected by carpets. Re-milled boards from recycled structural timbers are also on the market and have very consistent dimensions. These timbers are collected from a diversity of sources and when laid as floorboards the variety can look stunning.
Typical floorboard timbers in circulation now include blackbutt, ironbarks, tallowwood, jarrah, Tasmanian oak and Baltic pine. Always personally inspect the product being offered in order to judge its suitability in appearance for your project.
For hidden structure, steel and sustainably sourced plantation engineered products may be a better choice. Recycled structural timber is relatively difficult to work and adds time and cost. Engineering computations to confirm structural sufficiency are normally based on grading associated with readily available new materials. Professional builders have responsibility for the structural integrity of what they build for a decade or more, and will want structural timber graded.
Experienced building inspectors will also need independent third party certification of visually graded recycled materials.
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