Nowadays, many materials can be recycled. Whilst the most commonly known recyclable materials include things such as paper, glass and metal, did you know that environmental waste can also be recycled?
This includes wood waste and green waste. Contrary to what many people may think, the former is not included within the latter. In this blog, we’ll highlight the differences between the two before discussing the process of recycling wood waste in more detail.
Read on to learn more!
Wood Waste vs Green Waste
Whilst wood waste and green waste both refer to different types of organic and biodegradable materials, there are discrepancies between the two that ultimately impacts how they are effectively disposed of and recycled.
Green waste refers to nitrogenous waste, meaning it contains high levels of nitrogen that is released when it breaks down. This includes:
● Cut branches
● Hedge trimmings
● Grass
● Plants
Wood waste (also known as brown waste), in comparison, refers to carbonaceous waste, meaning it is rich in carbon. This includes:
● Processed wood (e.g. wooden furniture or pallets)
● Leaves
● Hay
● Cardboard
It’s important to note that there are some materials that can be considered both green or brown waste, depending on their condition. For example, freshly cut small branches or green leaves are considered green waste, however if they are old and have dried out, then they are considered brown waste.
Wood Waste Recycling: What Happens?
When it comes to disposing of wood waste, there are two routes that can be taken: composting or recycling.
In terms of composting, all wood waste can be composted. This offers two key benefits, the first being that the process of composting produces biogas, which can then be harnessed and used to generate electricity as an alternative to fossil fuels.
As for recycling, this is another sustainable method for certain wood waste materials - such as wood itself! In order to recycle wood, it is first separated into grades and loaded into a chipping machine where it’s turned into lots of little chips. The size of these chips will be dependent on their designated end use.
The different wood grades are:
● Grade A: clean, untreated wood
● Grade B: grade A along with wood from demolition and construction sites
● Grade C: may contain grades A and B along with panel products (e.g. plywood or MDF)
● Grade D: hazardous waste wood
The chips can then be put back into circulation to make furnishings, chipboard or panels, whilst smaller fibres can be used to make products such as animal bedding.
Green Waste Removal
Are you looking for wood and green waste experts? We’ve got you covered here at Cherry Hill Waste.
Thanks to having green skips in Stoke-on-Trent in a range of sizes, we can cater to the needs of any domestic and commercial requirement, offering environmentally friendly waste disposal for all of the green and wood waste that we collect.
Get in touch with us today to enquire about our services.
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