How to minimize the loss in carpentry work product waste?

 During the making of your furniture or other woodwork in the house, you might be looking into ways to reduce wood waste.

This is important because using resources responsibly is very important.

Carpenters and joiners have a responsibility towards the environment.

The responsibility doesn’t lie alone with how the wood is used but also in choosing the kind of wood to use.

There are many types of construction timber available and all the different timbers have different environmental impacts.

The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) scheme certifies that timber (both softwood and hardwood) comes from sustainable forests and not from the depletion of tropical rainforests.

Thus always look for the FSC certification.

  Wood waste in the joinery and carpentry sector is a huge ordeal in terms of landfills. Although a lot of different kinds of wood can be recycled, the challenge lies in distinguishing a different kind of a wood waste because the waste contains even wood that can’t be recycled conventionally.

Limiting the waste is good not only in terms of the environment but also would be beneficial in economic terms.

 The different ways in which you can reduce your carpentry work product waste and utilize the waste to divert it from being sent to landfills are as follows:

 ·         One needs to know how to handle hazardous waste.

This is extremely important.

Also one needs to keep in mind that, though natural timber is sustainable to use and dispose of, it doesn’t last very long.

Therefore, it is treated with chemicals, which significantly raise its environmental impact and poses a problem in recycling.

 ·         One of the best ways of having less waste to deal with is generating less waste in the first place.

Therefore one must use materials carefully.

Also, make it a habit to order only what is required.

A high percentage of waste in joinery comes from over-ordering.

Ordering only what is required would save time as well as save money.

 ·         One can keep off-cuts for later use or reuse purposes instead of disposing of them.

Recycled wood such as this can be sold for fuel in factories, while the machine waste is suitable for making animal bedding and for composting.

 ·         Another way to reduce wood waste is by using mechanical fixing wherever possible.

Another thing to be careful about is the attention to detail.

Yes, quality is important but by giving attention to detail you can save up on a lot of material you waste.

 ·         One can also consider the engineered timber.

This can be made to specified dimensions.

Because in this kind of wood the knots and other imperfections are removed the waste produced is a lot less than conventional wood.

·         Separating the different types of waste generated goes a long way in careful handling of the waste.

Also, one should aim for reducing the packaging waste because as per estimates 35% of the waste generated comes from packaging.

·         Aim to use as few composite boards as possible.

Differentiate between dry and wet rot and learn about the insects that affect only damp timber.

One would thus need to cure dampness and would then be able to avoid many problems.