Is Wood Recyclable? And How To Dispose of It

Wood is such a prevalent material in all aspects of life, from furniture and garden sheds at home to the buildings all around us. So can wood be recycled? The answer is yes, you can absolutely recycle wood, but not through household recycling schemes.

That little caveat means there are lots of people with the good intention to recycle wood, but without knowing how to do so. Recycling wood is vitally important, as it saves on virgin resources being cut down to create new furniture and construction materials.

With all this in mind, this month at Reston Waste, we wanted to share some tips and information on wood recycling, so that you can do your part for the planet when you’ve got wood you need to get rid of.

Types of wood that can be recycled

While a wide variety of wood can be recycled, you should be aware that not all wood can be. Any wood that is chemically treated may not be suitable for recycling, since the material is usually put back into production for a variety of products.

You’ll find you can easily recycle the following, but this is not a full and exhaustive list:

• Oak
• Ash
• Birch
• Pine/Spruce
• Fir
• Mango 
• Poplar
• Ash
• Hornbeam

Benefits of recycling wood

For many, the benefits of recycling are already quite obvious, but let’s take a look at why recycling wood specifically is beneficial for everyone:

1. It protects trees – Around the world, thousands of trees are cut down to supply manufacturing with wood for a variety of purposes. If we can put some of that wood back into the process through recycling, we won’t have to cut down as many trees. Why is that important? Mainly because they’re so good for the planet, taking in carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen — essentially keeping our air that bit cleaner! 
2. It stops wood from going to landfill – Putting waste in landfill is considered to be harmful to the environment, so the more waste that can be diverted away from these sites the better. 
3. New products and materials can be made – When wood is recycled, there are so many different things that can be done with it. From making new furniture, like chairs and tables, to simple things like animal bedding, pallets and even paper. For this reason, it’s worth making the effort to recycle.

How to dispose of wood and timber

We’ve already mentioned that your wood and timber waste won’t be accepted in regular, household recycling schemes run by local councils, so how do you dispose of wood and timber so that it can be recycled?

The easiest way to ensure any waste or scrap wood is recycled properly is to use a local, trusted skip hire and waste management company. At Reston Waste, we have our own waste transfer and recovery facility, allowing us to take your waste from construction and domestic projects, separating it to recycle as much waste as possible.

There may also be recycling schemes in your area that will take your wood for recycling, but these will often require you to transport the wood yourself, which can be impractical. When you use our waste collection services, you don’t have to lift a finger; we collect your waste and transport it for recycling.

The alternatives to these options involve sending it to landfill, something we’ve already explained isn’t great for the environment for many reasons.

Recycling Wood FAQs:

Can you put wood in a skip?

Yes, wood and timber can be put in our skips as long as it has not been chemically treated. Tree trunks from garden waste are a little different as we can’t take large trunks — read more about our accepted and restricted waste types here.

How is the wood recycled?

Accepted wood will be separated from other materials and then processed before being transported onward depending on whether it will be used as biomass, shredded material or for manufacturing new goods.

Can you put wood in your household bin?

While you can technically put wood in your ordinary household waste bin, it isn’t advised as you’ll use up the space you need for regular waste and the wood will end up in a landfill site.

Can MDF be recycled?

MDF is a tricky material to recycle since it will have been treated and may be overlaid with a coating that cannot be recycled. For this reason, you should not assume that your MDF will be recycled and instead contact your local authority to find the best way to dispose of it if you have large quantities.

Here at Reston Waste, we’re trusted, local experts when it comes to helping businesses and homeowners to dispose of waste safely and legally. You can make use of our skip hire and waste removal services regardless of whether it’s for domestic or commercial purposes, and we also offer dedicated waste management services if you need professional assistance with managing waste on your site on an on-going basis.

Call today for more information on waste wood and our recycling or order your skip online for London, Wimbledon and the surrounding areas today.