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Recyclable Wood is a Resource

53,980 tons of this resource was disposed of at the landfill in 2006

KC Waste Stream What's in your garbage? Seventy-five percent of materials thrown away are resources – not waste.

What is it?

Wood such as clean timber, dimensional lumber, stumps and limbs are readily recyclable. Wood that has been treated (with creosote, for example), painted, stained or contaminated is not appropriate for recycling and should be disposed of.

Why recycle wood?

In the landfill wood is a wasted resource. Wood can be reused as building material, recycled into mulch chips for landscaping and used beneficially as a fuel. Reusing and recycling wood reduces the need to cut down trees.

What can you do?

• Recycle waste wood. Use King County's What do I do with…? Web site to find facilities that accept wood for recycling or reuse. Post a listing on the Online Exchange to find buyers for your wood.
• Consider chipping wood debris for landscape cover. Wood chips make excellent mulch for garden beds. A number of companies chip wood from trimmed or downed trees, including some tree services.
• Buy and use salvaged or recycled wood and wood products or non–wood materials that are more easily recycled. If you use wood, choose certified wood, which means that the trees are harvested from a sustainably managed forest. To learn more see the Forest Stewardship Council (external) Web site.

See What Happens to Your Recyclables in this 10 minute video (Please choose your preferred video format) :

• Windows Media variable speed format (Windows Media Player required - free download available)
• Real Media variable speed format (RealPlayer required - free download available)

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