Wood Waste You Can And Cannot Recycle

When recycling your wood waste it is important to know that there are certain dos and don’ts to adhere to. Some types of wood waste are accepted by recycling firms and will be collected from your site, while others will be rejected. And while we are striving to recycle as much waste as possible in order to protect our environment, the rejected types of wood can not be recycled for a number of reasons.

Wood waste that can be recycled

Clean, untreated wood: This includes lumber scraps, plywood, and dimensional lumber. These types of wood waste are widely accepted by recycling teams and can be quickly and efficiently transported and recycled, ready to be used for another purpose.

Other types of wood waste that you can recycle include:

• Wood pallets
• Unpainted
• Boxes and Crates
• Wooden Pallets
• Timber offcuts
• Shredded Wood or Wood Shavings

In order to identify the types of wood you can and cannot recycle, if not mentioned in the list above, there are certain grades that are given to wood waste: from A to D. This system uses letters (A to D) to classify wood waste based on its suitability for recycling. Here’s a breakdown of the grades:

• Grade A: Clean, untreated wood – This is the best category for recycling. It includes items you mentioned like lumber scraps and untreated pallets.
• Grade B: Treated or slightly contaminated wood – This category includes wood that might have some paint, varnish, or minor contamination. It can sometimes be recycled after additional processing to remove the contaminants.
• Grade C: Heavily contaminated or treated wood – This includes wood with heavy paint, stains, or treatments like railway sleepers or telegraph poles. It’s generally not suitable for recycling.
• Grade D: Hazardous waste wood – This category includes wood treated with hazardous chemicals. It requires special disposal methods and cannot be recycled in regular facilities.

Wood waste you can not recycle

Grade D wood waste is considered hazardous waste and can not be recycled. This will include the following:

• Treated wood: This includes wood that has been pressure-treated, painted, or stained. These chemicals can contaminate the recycling process.
• Veneered wood: Wood with glued-on veneer is difficult to separate and recycle.
• Plywood or MDF with glue or resin: These wood products contain adhesives that make recycling difficult.
• Contaminated wood: Wood that is contaminated with paint, oil, or other chemicals cannot be recycled.

If your load of wood waste contains any type of contaminated or grade D wood waste, it will be rejected and the entire load will be considered unacceptable for recycling.