Wood Is One of the Most Reusable of Materials

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Markfield]John Markfield
Information from Harvard University reports that more than 95 percent of the native forests in the United States have been cut down as of the early 21st century, so anyone using woodworking machines should take note not to waste this valuable resource.
More than two thirds of the timber we use in the UK is imported. In the UK we generate an estimated 5 million tonnes of waste wood each year. In 1996 less than 200,000 tonnes of waste wood was recycled. By 2010 the recycled tonnage had risen to almost 2.8 million.

Every man, woman and child in Great Britain consumes one tonne of wood a year. The UK currently consumes about 3% the world's wood consumption. The UK has only about 1% of the world's population, but has three times the world's average per capita consumption rate of wood.

Why should we use recycled wood? First of all it is a sustainable alternative to using virgin timber. Recycled wood has moisture content of around 20% compared to the 60-70% moisture in virgin wood; it lasts longer and utilizes less energy during processing.

Recycled wood is normally graded as follows:
Grade 1: timber good enough to sell back to the DIY/builders' market.
Grade 2: clean and sound but too short or small to be easily sold for DIY,
Grade 3: everything else
By recycling instead of landfilling, we are not paying the landfill tax on the majority of the waste we collect. Recycling will eventually save money as the cost of disposing through landfill rises. If wood is allowed to rot in landfill sites it contributes methane to greenhouse gas production. Methane is 23 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Recycled wood has several identifiable characteristics. Since the trees often grew in old-growth forests, which led to slow growth which meant stronger, denser tree trunks.

The latest technology being used in wood recycling plants and woodworking machinery are increasing processing efficiency and economy. The emerging market for wood chip is as a renewable fuel for energy production. Major power generating companies are planning for a number of large scale power stations which will consume large tonnages of recycled wood chip.

Projects are in progress to heat schools, public buildings and nurseries from recycled wood. The Government is committed to producing 15% of the UK's energy needs from renewable sources by 2020. There are many companies or local social enterprise schemes set up for wood recycling, so if you are not currently wood recycling, it would be a good time to start.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Wood-Is-One-of-the-Most-Reusable-of-Materials&id=6653302] Wood Is One of the Most Reusable of Materials