Successful Approaches

to Recycling Urban

Wood Waste 

United States

Department of 

Agriculture

Forest Service

Forest

Products

Laboratory

General

Technical

Report

FPLGTR133
Abstract

This report presents eight case studies of successful urban

wood waste recycling projects and businesses. These

studies document the success of recovered products such

as lumber and lumber products, mulch, boiler fuel, and

alternative cover for landfills. Overall, wood waste

accounts for about 17% of the total waste received at

municipal solid waste landfills in the United States. In

1998, the amount of urban wood waste generated was 

more than 160 million tons, with 29.6 million tons available for recovery. Similarly, in 1998, new construction in

the United States generated 8.7 million tons of wood

waste, with 6.6 million tons available for recovery; demolition waste generated 26.4 million tons of wood waste, 

with 9 million tons available for recovery. The case studies were selected on the basis of the following criteria:

an emphasis on partnerships among communities, businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations; efficient use of funds; sustained creation of

enterprise; and a high benefit/cost ratio.

Keywords: recycling, urban wood waste, energy, pallets

October 2002 

Solid Waste Association of North America. 2002. Successful approaches

to recycling urban wood waste. Gen. Tech. Rep. FPLñGTRñ133.

Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest 

Products Laboratory. 20 p.

A limited number of free copies of this publication are available to the 

public from the Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive,

Madison, WI 53726ñ2398. This publication is also available online at 

www.fpl.fs.fed.us. Laboratory publications are sent to hundreds of

libraries in the United States and elsewhere.

The Forest Products Laboratory is maintained in cooperation with

the University of Wisconsin.

The use of trade or firm names is for information only and does not 

imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any

product or service.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, 

color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, 

sexual orientation, or marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDAís TARGET Center at

202) 720ñ2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination,

write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20250ñ9410, or call (202) 720ñ5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an 

equal opportunity provider and employer.

Acknowledgments

The work described in this report was funded by cooperative research grant 00ñDGñ010. We thank the companies

and individuals who contributed information for the case

studies. We also thank the following for funding this

project: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA

Forest Service, and International Society of Arboriculture.

A special note of appreciation is extended to the

Technology Marketing Unit, State & Private Forestry, 

Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

SI conversion factors

English unit

Conversion

factor SI unit

acre 0.4047 hectare (ha) 

British thermal unit (Btu) 1.054 u 103 joule (J) 

cubic yard (yd3) 0.836 cubic meter (m3)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) 

horsepower 7.46 u 102 watt (W) 

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeters (mm)

pound (lb) 0.454 kilogram (kg) 

yard (yd) 0.9 meter (m) 

Contents

Page

Introduction.......................................................................1

Available Resources and Markets................................ 1

Why Recycle Wood Waste?......................................... 3

Case Study Overview........................................................4

Community Woodworks, Oakland, California..................5

Willard Brothers Woodcutters, Trenton, New Jersey .......7

WoodWins, St. Paul, Minnesota .......................................9

Orange Regional Landfill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina .11

Rainier Wood Recyclers, Seattle, Washington ...............13

Texas Department of Transportation, Dallas, Abilene,

Tyler, and Amarillo.........................................................15

Mid-Michigan Recycling, LLC, Flint, Michigan............17

Recovermat Mid-Atlantic, LLC, Baltimore, Maryland...19

Conclusions.....................................................................20

Literature Cited ...............................................................20
Successful Approaches to Recycling 

Urban Wood Waste 

Solid Waste Association of North America

Applied Research Program

Silver Spring, Maryland

Introduction

Urban wood waste can include sawn lumber, pruned branches, stumps, and whole trees from street and park maintenance.

The primary components of urban wood waste are used lumber, shipping pallets, trees, branches, and other wood debris

from construction and demolition clearing and grubbing activities (California Integrated Waste Management Board 2001).

The end uses of wood recovered from construction and

demolition activities are sometimes limited. This is because

the wood is commingled with other materials and contaminants or is in such poor condition that the cost of processing

and cleaning limits the economic viability of processing and

reusing the material.

Wood waste generated at residential and commercial wood

frame construction sites offers a greater potential for reuse

because of the ease of separating the wood during various

stages of construction. Cut-offs and scraps generated during

framing and trimming constitute a relatively clean and

homogeneous waste stream that can make an excellent feedstock for engineered wood production. This type of wood

waste represents a highly desirable form of recyclable 

material that processors are eager to obtain.

Demolition operations usually generate a far less desirable form of wood waste as a result of its non-uniform nature,

compounded by commingling of the wood with other materials. The wood can still be reused, but it generally has low 

value and is destined for uses such as boiler fuel or mulch feedstock. Since demolition activities generate far more waste

per square foot than do construction activities, disposal costs represent a much larger portion of operating expenses.

Available Resources and Markets

Overall, wood waste accounts for about 17% of the total waste received at municipal solid waste landfills in the United 

States (EPA 1999). In 1998, the amount of urban wood waste generated was more than 160 million tons, with

29.6 million tons available for recovery (McKeever 1999). Similarly, in 1998, new construction in the United States 

generated 8.7 million tons of wood waste, with 6.6 million tons available for recovery; demolition waste generated

26.4 million tons of wood waste, with 9 million tons available for recovery (California Integrated Waste Management

Board 2001).
Markets for wood waste include feedstock for engineered

woods, landscape mulch, soil conditioner, animal bedding,

compost additive, sewage sludge bulking medium, and

boiler fuel. All these end uses have similar processing

requirements in that the wood waste has to be separated

from other wastes, cleaned by removing contaminants and

fasteners, and, in some cases, processed through grinding or

chipping. The final use of the wood waste often determines

how clean and consistent the feedstock must be (California

Integrated Waste Management 2001).

x LumberóA desirable option for wood waste management would be to reuse the structural or architectural

elements, which include casings, banisters, and molding.

Large timbers from older or unique structures can be salvaged and reused as structural elements in new buildings. If

lumber is reused as a structural element, it must be re-certified by a lumber grading inspector.

x Engineered wood productsóAnother desirable option for wood waste is feedstock for engineered wood. Engineered

wood is the term given to material derived from smaller pieces of wood that are bound together through a variety of 

glues, resins, and other chemicals to make a wood-like product. Examples of engineered wood include oriented strandboard, particleboard, glued-laminated timber, laminated lumber, wood I-joists, and finger-jointed studs.

x Mulch or compost feedstockóChipped wood and bark are common mulches. Wood is an excellent bulking agent for

composting, although a nitrogen source usually needs to be added.

x Biomass fuelóOvendry wood produces about 9,000 Btu/lb when burned, and it can be converted to liquid or gaseous

fuel. In addition, different forms of solid fuel such as charcoal are possible. Industrial wood residues are commonly used

for boiler fuel.

x Miscellaneous usesóOther uses for waste wood include alternative daily landfill cover, animal bedding, wood flour

filler for plastic products, and a source of biofuels and chemicals.

Table 1 shows an example of the range of values for various products that can be produced from a recovered wood pallet.

Reusing wood as lumber can potentially bring revenues 20 to 32 times as high as selling the same amount of wood for fuel

or mulch. Similarly, reusing wood in the manufacturing of engineered wood products can potentially bring revenues four

times as high as selling the same amount of wood for fuel or mulch. Note that processing and handling costs associated

with the reuse of lumber and engineered wood product feedstock options are also much greater than those associated with

using waste wood for fuel or mulch.

Table 1óRelative value of wood recovery optionsa

Wood pallet usage

Value of standard

48- by 40-in. pallet

Reuse as lumber $5.00 ñ $8.00

Feedstock for engineered wood products $1.00

Biomass fuel or mulch $0.25

a

Araman and others 1997. 

2
Why Recycle Wood Waste? 

There are a number of important reasons to recycle urban wood waste; the following discussion summarizes the primary

reasons.

Landfill Cost and Space Savings

Landfill costs can be avoided by recycling wood wastes, generating savings that, along with revenue from the sale of 

recovered wood waste materials, can be credited toward the processing costs associated with recovery. For example, assuming an average national tipping fee of $38/ton, the 29.6 million tons of urban wood waste disposed of annually represent more than $1,124 million in annual disposal costs. Cost savings could be even greater in certain parts of the United

States. Assuming a landfill density of 1,000 lb/yd3

, the 29.6 million tons of wood waste disposed of annually consume

about 59 million yd3

 of landfill space each year. If the landfill averages 50 ft in height and a 3/1 side slope is assumed,

this volume translates to more than 1,350 acres of landfill space consumed by wood wastes per year. [Truncated pyramid

formula: H/3(area of base + area of top + square root of (A base u A top))]

Environmental Benefits

The environmental benefits attributable to wood waste utilization depend on the method of recovery. The major direct

environmental benefits appear to be most noteworthy and quantifiable when wood waste is used to displace coal for

electricity or steam generation. As shown in Table 2, wood has an almost negligible amount of sulfur. When wood is used

to displace high sulfur bituminous coal, sulfur emissions can be reduced by more than 80%. Using wood waste frees up

landfill space, contributes to sequestering of carbon, reduces carbon dioxide emissions from processing virgin material,

and contributes to sustainable use of natural resources.

Environmental issues accompany the environmental benefits of recycling wood waste, especially demolition wood waste.

For example, in the case of waterborne wood preservatives, there is a concern about chemical leaching (if the wood is used

as mulch) or concentration in the ash (if the processed wood is used as boiler fuel). These environmental issues are

currently being researched.

Natural Resource Benefits

Recovering and recycling wood from the waste stream result in the conservation of natural resources. For example, more

than 1.9 billion (billion = 109

) pallets are put into circulation each year in the United States; 50% of these pallets are

designed for a single-use trip (WoodWins 2000). The pallet market is an important outlet for lumber mills that serve the

high quality furniture industry. By developing new markets for wood waste, forest owners have more opportunities to

offset the costs of sustainable forest management and improve the overall health of the forests. Seventy-one percent of the

nationís productive forestland is privately owned; 84% of that is owned by 10 million non-industrial private owners

(Smith and others 2001). Most non-industrial private owners do not have timber production as an objective, but they need

some income to offset the cost of responsible forest management. Healthier, more productive non-industrial private forestland means fewer and less severe wildfires, which in turn benefits not only private landowners but also the public.

Table 2óChemical analysis of wood wastea

Element Amount by weight (%) 

Carbon 41.20

Hydrogen 5.03

Oxygen 34.55

Nitrogen 0.24

Chlorine 0.09

Sulfur 0.07

Moisture 16.00

Ash 2.82

a

Tillman 1991.

3
Case Study Overview 

The case studies presented in this report are listed in Table 3. These studies represent a variety of approaches that have

been successfully used for the recovery of urban wood waste. The studies include a description of each company, participants, benefits, type and quantity of wood waste processed, recovered products, economics, and contact for additional

information. These case studies are testimony to the fact that wood waste can be successfully recovered from the waste

stream in ways that are economical, benefit the environment, and conserve natural resources.

Table 3óWood waste recovery case studies

Case study Recovered wood product

Community Woodworks, Oakland, CA Lumber and lumber products

Willard Brothers Woodcutters, Trenton, NJ Lumber and lumber products

WoodWins, St. Paul, MN High-end wood products

Orange Regional Landfill, Chapel Hill, NC Salvage (metal, pallets, wood chips, items reused by public)

Rainier Wood Recyclers, Seattle, WA Wood chips

Texas Department of Transportation

Dallas, Abilene, Tyler, and Amarillo

Compost and mulch

Mid-Michigan Recycling, LLC, Flint, MI Boiler fuel

Recovermat, Mid-Atlantic, LLC, Baltimore, MD Alternative daily cover for landfills

4
Community Woodworks,

Oakland, California 

Product Lumber and lumber products

Description Community Woodworks is a custom mill house specializing in reclaimed and 

salvaged urban lumber. The mill is located on the Oakland Army Base. The

bulk of the inventory is Douglas-fir that was reclaimed from deconstructed

warehouses on the Oakland Army Base.

Community Woodworks offers a customized line of 100% reclaimed wood

products. In addition to producing large quantities of flooring and paneling

for resale, the mill offers custom milling and woodworking services, including furniture, doors, windows, cabinet face frames, countertops, molding,

and trim.

Participants Wood waste source: Beyond Waste, C & K Salvage,

individual contributions

Wood waste mill & woodshop: Community Woodworks

Product buyers: General public

Start Date Community Woodworks was incorporated as a California public benefit nonprofit organization. The mill

house was started in September 1998. Funding to establish Community Woodworks was provided by the

Department of Health and Human Services, Job Opportunities for Low Income Individuals Program; the

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9.

Current support is provided by the East Bay Community Foundation, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman

Fund, the Alameda County Homeless Collaborative, and the Alameda County Source Reduction and

Recycling Board.

Benefits Community Woodworks supports deconstruction enterprises that employ or train low-income

individuals in building deconstruction and wood reuse.

Benefit Quantity

Savings in landfill space 0.006 acresa

Employment of disadvantaged persons Goal of 8% by end of 2001

a

Assuming density of landfilled wood waste at 1,000 lb/cubic yard and landfill height of 50 ft. 

Wood Waste Only clean solid wood, excluding plywood, is processed; painted or treated wood is avoided.

Community Woodworks purchases only from dedicated deconstructed job sites where the wood is

carefully dismantled. Emphasis is placed on dimension lumber, from 2 by 4s through 2 by 10s.

5
Products Building materialsópaneling and siding, flooring, ready-to-assemble decking packages and custom

doors, windows

Manufactured reclaimed wood productsóoutdoor furniture, such as picnic tables and benches, and

custom furniture components

Raw lumberówithout resurfacing, deconstruction lumber for use

Economics Community Woodworks is nonprofit and subsidized because of the need for recycling and job training.

Purchase price of materials varies depending on size, age, and level of processing needed, as well as

supply and market price. The company manufactures value-added wood products because the price of

recovered products is frequently less than that of green wood.

Contact Dave Hanchett

 Development Associate

 Community Woodworks

2420 Ukraine St. 

Oakland Army Base, Bldg. 823

Oakland, CA 94607

 Phone: (510) 835ñ7690

 www.communitywoodworks.org

6
Willard Brothers Woodcutters,

Trenton, New Jersey 

Product Lumber and lumber products

Description Willard Brothers Woodcutters is a sawmill/wood

processing company in central New Jersey. Raw

materials for this business are 100% urban tree removals

provided by Shear Penn Corporation, the tree removal

portion of the company. Willard Brothers Woodcutters

produces a complete range of lumber product supplies

for artisans, hobbyists, architects, and homeowners.

Their kiln-dried, high quality lumber and molding product lines fit into a significant and high value market.

Utilization of urban tree removals is a result of the processing and marketing capability of this company.

Firewood and mulch made from branchwood, log slabs, planer shavings, and trimmings create a complete picture of utilization of a resource that at one time was a significant disposal problem and costly.

Willard Brothers Woodcutters now uses this resource to provide jobs and revenues for the company and

products for societal needs.

Participants Wood waste source: Shear Penn Corporation 

Wood waste processor: Willard Brothers Woodcutters

Product buyers: Artisans, hobbyists, architects, and homeowners

Start Date Mr. Willard began Willard Brothers Woodcutters in 1974. At that time, the parent company was paying

about $20,000/year to dispose of tree removals.

Benefits The most direct benefit is landfill cost savings that accrue to Shear Penn Corporation since it no longer

needs to dispose of tree removals in a landfill. Another key benefit is the recovery of rare types and

pieces of wood, such as walnut, for use by artisans and hobbyists. 

Benefit Quantitya

Savings in landfill space 0.14 acres/year

a

Assuming landfilled wood waste density of

1,000 lb/yd3

 and landfill height of 50 ft.

Recovered Recovered products include usable lumber (produced from logs), firewood (from large topwood),

Products mulch (from branches), and sawdust, which is sold to local horse owners for use as bedding.

7
Recovered product

Quantity

(tons/year)

Usable lumber 150

Mulch 2,500

Firewood 1,250

Sawdust 333

Economics Both Shear Penn Corporation and Willard Brothers Woodcutters are private companies; therefore, little 

economic data are available. However, the fact that the wood recovery company has been in business for

more than 15 years suggests the economic viability of their approach.

Contact Ed Lempicki, Chief

New Jersey Forest Service

 Phone: (609) 984ñ3865

 ELEMPICK@dep.state.nj.us

8
WoodWins,

St. Paul, Minnesota 

Product High-end wood products

Description The St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium (NEC)

started an innovative new business called WoodWins,

which employs disadvantaged people and uses wood

from pallets, crates, and other scrap wood to manufacture high-end products, such as planters, window boxes,

and garden benches. The goals of this business are to increase the recovery and recycling of discarded wood and

to provide jobs and job training opportunities in

Minnesota.

Participants WoodWins is a business venture of the St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium, a non-profit

community organization. WoodWins depends on wood waste sources around the Twin Cities, including

municipal yard waste programs and local industries.

Wood waste source: Various places around Twin Cities

Wood waste processor: WoodWins

Labor provider: WoodWins and Midway Training Services

Product buyers: Retail customers through garden centers, distributors, and direct sales

Start Date Pilot production began in summer 1999.

Benefits This project was developed in response to a critical waste problem. About 40% of the total domestic

hardwood lumber production milled is made into pallets. In Minnesota alone, 2,720,000 pallets are

disposed of each year (WoodWins 2002).

The NEC developed WoodWins to ìhelp combat overflowing landfills, global warming, and the

disastrous effects of deforestation.î However, WoodWins goes beyond providing environmental

benefits, by bringing the social benefits of economic development and job training to the community.

The NEC has formed alliances with organizations that provide job opportunities to people with

developmental disabilities, as well as to economically disadvantaged residents. The unique partnerships

formed by WoodWins provide a needed social service and address critical waste management and

natural resource issues.

Benefit Quantity

Savings in landfill space 0.014 acres/year

a

Employment of disadvantaged persons 10 to 15 workers

a

Assuming landfilled wood waste density of 1,000 lb/yd3 and landfill 

height of 50 ft.

9
Wood Waste Quantity

(ton/year)a

Waste wood type 1999 2000

Urban demolition waste 30 60

Furniture plant residues 25 50

Spent pallets and crates 95 190

Total 150 300

a

Projected for full year production

Recovered

Year

Recovered productó

garden products

(units)

1990 6,750

2000 10,250

Products

Economics As indicated in the following table, WoodWins relies heavily on grants to support its activities.

However, it receives no revenue from the companies that supply the pallets and therefore avoids the

costs associated with disposal. If WoodWins received $100/ton in avoided disposal costs, this would

increase revenue by $30,000/year. Therefore, grant funds would still be required to support the

continued operation of WoodWins.

Category

 Cost/revenue

 ($)a

Annual revenue

Grants 128,000

Product sales 106,466

Landfill tip fees 0

Subtotal 234,466

Annual cost 

Labor 55,283

Administration 98,000

Utilities 3,000

Facility rental 7,300

Other (e.g., equipment, advertising) 114,424

Subtotal 278,007

a

Projected first full year. 

Future WoodWins is currently expanding its product line. They are also creating

Applications manual detailing and replication opportunities in other communities.

Contact Jennifer Wicklund

 WoodWins Program Manager

The Saint Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium

 Phone: (651) 221ñ4462

 www.woodwins.org

10
Orange Regional Landfill,

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 

Product Salvageómetal, pallets, wood chips,

items reused by public

Description In December 1997, the Orange Regional 

Landfill of Chapel Hill began a salvage

program at the construction and demolition

waste area of the publicly owned landfill

in Orange County, North Carolina.

Participants The program is operated by one full-time

staff member, who has a pick-up truck and

a skid steer loader. Pallet Express of

Greensboro buys the undamaged pallets

for 50 cents each. Mixed scrap metal is 

sold to DH Griffin of Greensboro.

Salvaged reusable goods range from lumber and bricks to furniture and stuffed animals. These goods are 

generally donated to local schools and nonprofit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Vietnam

Veterans of America, and a variety of smaller organizations from theater groups to high school shop

classes.

Wood waste source: Construction and demolition waste haulers

Construction and demolition processor: Orange Regional Landfill

Scrap metal buyer: DH Griffin

Salvagers of reusable goods: Habitat for Humanity, Vietnam Veterans of America,

other non-profit groups

Start Date December 1997

Benefits In fiscal year (FY) 1998/1999, a total of 465 tons of construction and demolition waste was diverted

from the landfill. About 285 tons of construction and demolition waste was diverted in FY 1999/2000.

The lower tonnage in FY 1999/2000 is attributed to lack of a staff person for 3.5 months. The success of 

the program relies on a staff person to actively direct the placement of materials as well as sort by hand.

By taking a proactive approach, George Pierce, the current on-site staff member, increased the diversion

level, from January to June 2001, close to the highest 6-month figures.

Benefit Quantitya

Savings in landfill space 0.02 acre 

a

Assuming landfilled wood waste density of

1,000 lb/yd3

 and landfill height of 50 ft.

Recovered Salvageable material recovered through this program is about half lumber and half fixtures, furniture,

Products and other building materials. The latter includes significant quantities of wood pallets, wood furniture,

and scrap lumber.

11
Recovered product

Quantity/year

(ton)

Scrap metal 359.2

Pallets 38.4

Wood chips 2.9

Items reused by public 50.1

Economics Program costs are covered from landfill tipping fees. A State grant from the North Carolina Division of

Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance was used to pay $10,000 of the total cost of the skid

steer loader. Annual program costs are approximately $36,000. Program revenue from the sale of scrap

metals and pallets was about $4,500 for fiscal year 1998ñ1999. (The price received for scrap metal has 

ranged from $10 to $30 per ton, and used pallet revenues have typically been sold for $0.50 each.) Net

program costs are about $31,500/year, which equates to $68/ton. When discounted by the landfill tipping

fee of $38/ton for construction and demolition waste, the net cost of the recovery program is $30/ton.

To encourage source separation, reduced tipping fees are charged for clean lumber and yard waste 

($12/ton); no tipping fee is charged for scrap metal. However, the full tipping fee of $38/ton is charged

for pallets because of the high handling costs.

Future The county believes that the salvage program has the potential to divert more materials with

Applications additional labor, better markets for scrap wood, steeper differential fees for separated materials, and

penalties for mixing recyclables with other wastes (e.g., corrugated cardboard). A pilot program is being

set up to grind most of the wood waste into colored mulch for landscaping. This ìdecorative mulchî is 

best suited for large commercial needs, such as along roadway median strips. The mulch will be dyed

with EPA-approved water-based, non-toxic dyes.

Contact Gayle Wilson, Director

Solid Waste Management Division

Town of Chapel Hill 

306 North Columbia Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Phone: (919) 968ñ2885

www.co.orange.nc.us/recycling

12
Rainier Wood Recyclers,

Seattle, Washington 

Product Wood chips

Description Rainier Wood Recyclers currently operates

two wood waste recycling yards in Washington, in Covington and Fall City. The 

Covington facility has been operating

continuously for more than 10 years, the

Fall City yard for more than 3 years.

Both facilities are designed to receive and 

process all kinds of wood wastes, with

tipping fees dependant on the type of waste. Self-haul customers include 16 municipalities and 3 counties. All major private refuse haulers in the region utilize Rainier facilities, as do most major construction companies. In addition to providing wood processing services, Rainier Wood Recyclers began a

wood waste collection and trucking service 3 years ago. Finally, the company offers a ìprocessing for

hireî service, through which the wood waste processing equipment is delivered to the customer and the

wood waste is processed on site.

To process the wood wastes received at both facilities, the company owns five large primary grinders,

each powered by 60-horsepower engines. These grinders are portable and are used at both the companyís facilities and customer sites. Ancillary equipment includes large thumbed trackhoes, pickup and

service trucks, loaders, water trucks, dozers, and screening plants. A unique feature of the Rainier service is that the air permits for its processing equipment are not site specific, but are valid anywhere

within King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties.

Participants Rainier Wood Recyclers is a private company that processes wood waste from yard waste programs operated by local governments in the Seattle metro area. Its sources of wood waste include 16 municipalities and 3 counties, in addition to construction and demolition companies and large waste haulers.

Wood waste source: 16 municipalities; 3 counties; large waste haulers; construction

and demolition firms

Wood waste processor: Rainier Wood Recyclers (3 permanent facilities; mobile on-site

processing equipment)

Product buyers: Landscapers, manufacturers of wood-based products

Start Date Rainier Wood Recyclers was incorporated in 1986. 

Benefits This project has resulted in the diversion of approximately 180,000 tons of wood waste from landfill

disposal per year.

Benefit Quantitya

Savings in landfill space 12.75 acres/year

a

Assuming landfilled wood waste density of

 1,000 lb/yd3 and landfill height of 50 ft. 

13
Wood Waste About 85% of wood waste processed by Rainier Wood Recyclers consists of nonrecoverable tree parts,

such as non-marketable limbs and tree stumps. Rainier Wood Recyclers also processes new construction

scrap, spent pallets and crates, furniture plant residues, demolition wood waste, and wood waste from

new construction activities.

Recovered Ranier Wood Recyclers produces wood chips from wood waste, which can be used for

Products manufacturing of wood-based products or as a mulch or boiler fuel.

Recovered product Description

Manufacturing, furnish products Sized wood chips used in manufacture of particleboard or

low-grade paper pulps

Landscape products Mulches, arena chips, and wood chips for temporary road

and erosion control

Boiler fuel (hog fuel) Low-grade wood chip residual for boiler fuel

Economics The tipping fees charged for land-clearing debris, brush waste, and urban wood waste are set lower than

those that would be charged for the same materials at local landfills. (For reference, the tipping fee 

charged for yard waste at the King County Cedar Hills landfill is $75/ton.) The revenue from tipping

fees, along with revenue from the sale of wood chips, is enough to offset collection, processing, and

transportation costs associated with producing wood chips.

Future Future applications may include providing wood for manufacturing recycled plastic and

Applications wood-based products.

Contact Bob Sargent

Rainier Wood Recyclers 

27529 Covington Way Southeast

Kent, WA 98042

Phone: (253) 630ñ3565

14
Texas Department of Transportation,

Dallas, Abilene, Tyler, and Amarillo

Product Compost and mulch

Description As the result of a partnership of the Texas Department

of Transportation (TxDOT), Texas Natural Resources

Conservation Commission (TNRCC), and Texas State Soil

and Water Conservation Board, compost was applied to roadways in Texas as a part of TxDOTís emphasis on the use of

recycled products. Unlike similar demonstration projects, the

demonstrations were conducted with compost from cow

manure.

A key feature of these demonstration projects is the

significant market for wood waste that could develop as a result. Wood chips and manure are blended at

a ratio of three parts manure to one part chips. The wood chips act as a bulking agent in the composting

process, providing surfaces upon which active microorganisms complete the composting process. The

composting reaction gives off heat sufficient to destroy pathogenic bacteria in the manure. The resulting

compost consists of long organic polymers with the consistency of humus. After the compost is completed, large chips are screened for re-use and smaller chips are left in the mix. The resulting compost

mixture significantly reduces water and wind erosion.

The use of compost along roadways has been demonstrated in the Dallas, Abilene, Tyler, and Amarillo

districts of TxDOT, often with remarkable results. In one case, TxDOT went through five unsuccessful

attempts to establish vegetation on a steep, severely eroded overpass near Big Springs. The site is in a 

low rainfall area and had been barren since 1968. Compost was applied, and 1 month later grass was

thriving on the site.

The use of compost along roadways is not a new concept. A 1997 document lists 17 states that had demonstrated the use of compost and had developed specifications for its use to establish vegetation or otherwise beautify roadways and right-of-ways (Mitchell 1997). However, not all states allow the use of

compost made from manure. Some limit the use of compost to that made from composting yard debris

and other organic material, in the belief that such compost has a low risk of containing pathogens.

Compost is applied to the soil surface as a top dressing as well as applied and tilled into the soil. Applications range from 1/2 to 2 in. deep, with most studies showing that the maximum benefit of compost

occurs at a depth of 1 in.

The success of the Texas demonstration projects led to the development of statewide TxDOT Special 

Specification Item 1027, Furnishing and Placing Compost (Texas Department of Transportation 1999).

The Texas specification, like its counterpart in other states, sets minimum requirements for the quality of

material and construction methods. The specification will make it easier to develop the statewide use of

compost.

Participants Participants in this demonstration project include the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), and the Texas State Soil and Water

Conservation Board. Manure for composting is supplied by Texas dairy farmers, and wood chips are

supplied through local government yard waste programs.

Demonstration project sponsors: Texas Department of Transportation

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission

Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board

Compost supplier: Texas dairy farmers

Wood chips suppliers: Local governments

Compost/wood chip users: State highway construction contractors

15
Start Date This demonstration project started in 1999.

Benefits TxDOT officials cite a three-fold benefit of using composted manure:

x Compost protects the often-fragile soils along roadways.

x The use of compost strengthens the market for wood chips produced from urban wood waste

recycling programs. Wood chips serve as a bulking agent for compost and mulch for eroded soil.

x The use of compost helps manage the surplus of manure in some locations.

x TxDOT recognizes the value of composted chicken litter as well as cow manure and notes that

the finished product meets strict EPA standards for Class A biosolids (Bishop 1999).

Wood Waste Various wood wastes collected through municipal wood waste recycling programs are used in the Texas

demonstration projects. The primary constituents of urban wood waste are used lumber, trim, shipping

pallets, trees, branches, and other wood debris from construction and demolition clearing and grubbing

activities.

Wood chips and manure are blended at a ratio of three parts compost to one part wood chips. The resulting compost is coarse screened; the mixture of small chips and compost reduces water and wind erosion

of compost and topsoil.

Economics Current TxDOT policy provides an economic incentive for the rapid establishment of vegetation in disturbed areas. Compost has been demonstrated to be a viable option for successfully completing the vegetation process. One demonstration reported in Texas showed the cost of a compost-based treatment as 

$17,000 compared with an estimated $30,000 for the traditional treatment of topsoil, seeding, and an

erosion control blanket (Block 2000). Cost savings would be reduced when additional thickness of compost is used, but the thickness used to compute the $17,000 cost was not given.

From the viewpoint of a livestock producer, the composting process makes economic sense. A study at

Texas A&MñCommerce for a 400-cow dairy showed composting the manure could yield an annual net

income of approximately $20,000. Composting was done in an in-vessel composter at a cost of approximately $11/yd3

 at the site. Texas A&MñCommerce estimated the value of the finished compost as 

$20/yd3. One of the weakest links in the manure composting effort has been the development of markets

where the value of the compost can be realized, so these profits must be considered to be potential.

Future The use of compost for highway vegetation establishment and beautification would create markets in

Applications areas where a market does not currently exist. Region 6 of the EPA is encouraging the use of composted

cow manure through funding of a section 319 grant. Contractors using compost made from cow manure

from the Bosque Watershed (Erath County, Texas) will receive a payment per cubic yard of compost

used. The 319 grant is provided as an incentive to use manure from an area where manure is in excess,

thus developing the market potential.

Contact David C. Moffitt 

 NWMC Environmental Engineer

 Phone: (817) 509ñ3315

 dmoffitt@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov

16
Mid-Michigan Recycling, LLC,

Flint, Michigan

Product Boiler fuel

Description Each year, about 200,000 tons of urban and other wood wastes are

recovered by Mid-Michigan Recycling, LLC, for combustion at the

Genesee Power Station in Flint.

Mid-Michigan Recycling was created in 1994 for the sole purpose

of providing boiler-ready wood fuel to the Genesee Power Station.

Since the Power Station started burning wood in 1995, MidMichigan Recycling has supplied the following quantities of wood

waste to the Genesee Power Station: 

Year

Wood waste supplied to

Genesee Power Station (ton)

1995 71,700

1996 95,000

1997 125,000

1998 150,000

1999 197,000

Total 638,700

Participants Sources of wood waste include wood waste recycling yards, municipal yard waste processing sites, and

industries in the metropolitan area of Detroit. Mid-Michigan Recycling uses a portable grinder to process wood wastes at these locations. The resulting fuel is then combusted at the Genesee Power Plant to 

generate electricity.

Wood waste source: Wood waste recycling yards, municipal yard

waste processing sites, and industries

Wood waste processor: Mid-Michigan Recycling, LLC

Purchaser of wood chips for

boiler-ready fuel for electricity:

Genesee Power Station, L.P. 

Start Date Mid-Michigan Recycling, LLC, was founded in February 1994. Genesee Power Station began burning

wood waste in 1995.

Benefits Project benefits include the displacement of a non-renewable energy resource (coal) with a renewable

and less polluting energy resource that would otherwise be landfilled (as wood waste). Each year more

than 100,000 tons of coal is displaced through the combustion of wood chips from wood wastes. At the

same time, about 200,000 tons/year of wood waste is not landfilled, resulting in landfill space savings of

about 1.13 acres/year.

Because wood is a low sulfur fuel, it is estimated that more than 2,000 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions

are reduced through this project every year. Greenhouse gassesóabout 16,000 metric tons of carbon

equivalentsóare also reduced.

17
Benefit Quantity/year

Displacement of non-renewable fossil fuels 108,000 tons coala

Reduction in waste landfilled 200,000 tonsb

Savings in landfill space 1.13 acresc

Reduction in air emissions

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions 2,100 tonsc

Greenhouse gases (MTCE reductions) 16,000 MTCEd

a

Assumes displacement of anthracite coal at 13,500 Btu/lb with wood waste at 7,300 Btu/lb.

b

Assumes landfilled wood waste density of 1,000 lb/yd3 and landfill height of 50 ft.

c

Assumes sulfur content of wood waste is 0.07% by weight and that no acid gas emissions from

 wood waste are controlled. Assumes 40 lb SO2 reduced per ton of bituminous coal displaced

through wood waste combustion.

d

Metric ton of carbon equivalent (MTCE) reduction of greenhouse gasses based on following

assumptions: (1) 0.32 tons of CO2 (fossil) reduction per ton of wood waste combusted

 (2) 0.25 MTCE per ton of CO2 reduction.

Wood Waste Mid-Michigan Recycling uses a variety of wood waste types to produce boiler fuel, including new

construction scrap, particle board trimmings from furniture plants, used pallets and crates, and

unmarketable tree parts from land-clearing operations.

Waste wood type Description

New construction scrap Lumber end pieces, panel trim

Furniture plant residues Primarily particleboard trimmings

Industrial wood Spent pallets and crates

Land-clearing debris Unmarketable trees from land clearing 

(whole trees, tops and limbs, stumps)

Recovered Wood waste is processed through tub grinders at waste wood recycling yards, municipal sites,

Products and industrial sites. Approximately 200,000 tons/year of boiler fuel is recovered.

Economics Mid-Michigan Recycling has a 35-year contract to supply all of Genesee Powerís wood fuel needs. This

unique contract has a complex formula that protects Genesee Power from excessive fuel cost while providing a mechanism to maximize up to 20% return on equity to Mid-Michigan Recycling. Incentives are

in place to drive the cost per bone dry ton (BDT) to the smallest number possible. Mid-Michigan does

not pay for the wood waste from the respective providers, yet it charges those providers for transportation costs involved in processing and removing their wood wastes.

Future Future applications may include the screening of stump grindings to produce a topsoil amendment.

Applications

Contact Mike Venditto, General Manager

Aaron Hess, Manager of Processing and Procurement

Mid-Michigan Recycling, LLC

5310 N. Dort Hwy.

Flint, MI 48505

Phone: (810) 785ñ4512

18
Recovermat Mid-Atlantic, LLC, 

Baltimore, Maryland 

Product Alternative daily cover for landfills

Description In September 1996, Recovermat

Mid-Atlantic LLC opened for business,

processing construction and demolition

waste to produce an alternative daily cover 

for use at municipal and industrial waste 

landfills.

Participants Recovermat Mid-Atlantic LLC is a private company

in Baltimore and is a licensee of Recovermat Technologies, LLC. The Recovermat process is trademarked and patented. Recovermat LLC processes

construction and demolition waste that is brought to 

its facility by private haulers. Ferrous metals recovered during the processing operation are sold for

scrap. The Recovermat alternative daily cover is 

given away to regional municipal solid waste and

industrial landfills.

Wood waste providers: Construction and

demolition haulers

Construction and

demolition processor:

Recovermat

Mid-Atlantic LLC 

Users of Recovermat

alternative daily cover:

Municipal and

industrial landfill

owners and operators

Start Date September 1996

Recovered The Recovermat is given away as an alternative daily landfill cover. Many landfills, including those

Products that dispose of municipal and industrial waste, are required to cover waste at the end of each day with

6 in. of soil. The purpose of this daily cover is to control blowing litter, scavenging, fires, odors,

nuisance animals, and disease vectors such as flies. Several states have approved the use of alternative

daily cover, which can reduce the use of cover soil at a landfill. Alternative daily cover provides the dual

benefit of saving landfill airspace (because less than 6 in. of cover material is typically required) and

saving soil costs (especially if cover soil has to be imported from off site). The Recovermat alternative

daily cover material is produced from processing construction and demolition waste. It has been used

on 15 municipal and industrial landfills in 6 states. 

Economics Major sources of revenue for this company are the tipping fees charged to construction and demolition

haulers and revenue from the sale of recovered ferrous metals. Recovermat LLC is making a profit, even

though no fees are charged for the alternative daily cover that is produced.

Contact Earle Mulrane

Recovermat Technologies, LLC

4922-A St. Elmo Avenue

 Bethesda, MD 20814

Phone: (301) 986ñ5575

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Conclusions

Based on the case studies presented in this report, the following conclusions are offered with respect to wood waste

recovery from the municipal solid waste stream.

x Although estimates vary, wood waste represents a major portion of the municipal solid waste stream, especially if

construction and demolition wastes are included.

x A large volume of wood waste is still being landfilled. In 1998, more than 160 million tons of wood waste was

generated, with about 30 million tons suitable for additional recovery.

x The majority of wood waste recovery programs are targeting low-end markets, which pay the equivalent of $0.25

for a recovered wood pallet. The higher end markets pay 20 to 32 times as much for an equivalent amount of wood.

Although these higher markets increase processing costs substantially, they are worth pursuing for at least a portion

of the urban wood waste stream.

x Environmental and natural resource conservation benefits need to be documented and quantified. These benefits are

rarely documented and almost never quantified. Environmental benefits include sequestration of renewal carbon,

reduced carbon dioxide and sulfur emissions when used in co-firing with coal, conservation of landfill space,

conservation of natural resources, and production of biodegradable erosion control material.

x Although most environmental effects of wood waste recovery are generally positive, certain environmental issues

require additional investigation. One issue is the environmental effect of recycling or combusting preservativetreated wood. 

Literature Cited 

Araman, P.A.; Bush, R.J.; Hammet, A.L.; Hager, E.G. 1998. Wood pallets and landfillsóStatus and opportunities for

economic recovery and recycling. In: Proceedings, WASTECON/ISWA World Congress , SWANAís 36 annual international solid waste exposition; 1998 October 26ñ29; Charlotte, NC. Silver Spring, MD: Solid Waste Association of North

America.

Bishop, C. 1999. TxDOT tests compost mixture as ROW erosion control option. Austin, TX: ENVision, Texas Department of Transportation, Summer/Fall 1999.

Block, D. 2000. Controlling erosion from highway projects. BioCycle. 41(1): 59ñ62.

California Integrated Waste Management Board. 2001. Fact sheetóUrban wood waste. Sacramento, CA: California

Environmental Protection Agency. 3 p.

EPA. 1999. Characterization of municipal solid waste in the United States: 1998 Update. Rep. EPA 530Rñ99ñ001.

Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency, 159 p.

McKeever, D.B. 1999. How woody residuals are recycled in the United States. BioCycle. 40(12): 33ñ44.

Mitchell, D. 1997. Compost utilization by Departments of Transportation in the United States. Gainesville, FL: University

of Florida, Soil and Water Science Department.

Smith, W.B.; Vissage, J.S.; Darr, D.R.; Sheffield, R.M. 2001. Forest resources of the United States, 1997. Gen. Tech.

Rep. NCñ219. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 190 p.

Texas Department of Transportation. 1999. Furnishing and placing compost. Statewide Special Specification Item

1027. Revised May 1999.

Tillman, D.A. 1991. The combustion of solid fuels and wastes. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

WoodWins. 2002. WoodWins recycled wood products brochure. St. Paul, MN: Neighborhood Energy Consortium.

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