Eco-Cycle of Wood and Wood-Based Products

Wood is a renewable and versatile raw material. It can be used for construction, furnishing, furniture, food handling, packaging, pallets and transport applications. At the end of its first life, wood or a wood-based product can be:

• Re-used
• Re-cycled
• Used as a carbon-neutral source of energy

Respect for the carbon cycle calls for respecting this sequence of wood use, so as to get the greatest benefits not only from a longer period of carbon storage, but also from the energy and finite resources saved from the production of alternative fossil-based materials.

Wood produces minimal waste

Very little, if any, waste is generated during the manufacturing of timber and wood-based products, as almost all by-products are used, whether as a raw material, or as an energy source.

During the production of sawn timber, the off-cuts, wood chips and sawdust generated are used on site to produce heat and energy for the drying kilns and other operations, and off site for the production of particleboard or for the pulp and paper industry.