Recovering wood for reuse and recycling : a United States perspective

Robert H. Falk; David B. McKeever

Treesearch

Recovering wood for reuse and recycling : a United States perspective

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Robert H. Falk, David B. McKeever

Year:

2004

Type:

Miscellaneous Publication

Station:

Forest Products Laboratory

Source:

European COST E31 Conference : Management of Recovered Wood Recycling Bioenergy and other Options : proceedings, 22-24 April 2004, Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki : University Studio Press, 2004: Pages 29-40.

Download (PDF 226 KB)

Download (PDF 226 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/7100.pdf

Abstract

The United States is a country with a vast forest resource, comprising about one-third of its total land area (or about 3 million square kilometers). As a result, wood is an important renewable resource and is widely used in many applications! including building construction, furniture, fuelwood, textile fabrics, organic chemicals, and paper manufacture. This wide usage generates a large volume of wood waste. Currently, nearly 63 million metric tons of this material is generated in the manufacture, use, and disposal of solid wood products each year. This paper describes the types and amounts of waste wood generated in 2002, recycling efforts in the United States, and the reuse of lumber salvaged from building removal.

Keywords

Municipal solid wood waste, construction and demolition wood waste, solid wood recycling, lumber reuse and recycling, deconstruction

Citation

Falk, Robert H.; McKeever, David B. 2004. Recovering wood for reuse and recycling : a United States perspective. European COST E31 Conference : Management of Recovered Wood Recycling Bioenergy and other Options : proceedings, 22-24 April 2004, Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki : University Studio Press, 2004: Pages 29-40.