Even recycled wood substitutes contain large percentages of virgin, nonrenewable materials. Every time we use a product that comes from a nonrenewable resource, we are diminishing the earth's ability to sustain us. Wood roofing and siding, however, is made from a resource that can be planted, harvested and planted again and again. Wood is the choice for a sustainable future. When wood is no longer usable, it can be readily absorbed back into the earth with no environmental harm.
Wood fibers turn into non-toxic dirt and enrich the soil as they decompose.
On a building site, wood scrap can be chipped and composted immediately with no hauling or landfilling. Wood substitutes, on the other hand, are not biodegradable. Materials such as concrete rubble are very difficult to recycle or dispose of. Steel and aluminum require massive amounts of energy to recycle. Plastics are burned with toxic substances that make recycling hazardous and costly.