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12/06/2006
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Recycled wood produces environmental benefits
Companies from the sector will be present at TEM TECMA 2006,
between 13th and 16th June at FERIA DE MADRID
Recycled wood is mainly used for the manufacture of planks, for producing energy, for producing compost and for cattle bedding.
Trees process 1.85 tons of CO2 for every ton of wood, which is why their existence is essential for reducing the greenhouse effect
In the year 2005, the wood recycling sector in Spain presented a turnover of more than 50 million euros and created around 1,000 direct jobs
Thousands of tons of wood still end up in rubbish tips today. This is a significant figure when we bear in mind that, by recovering and recycling this wood, we would be able to avoid the felling of further trees and the consequent destruction and deterioration of our forests. Wood is a scarce resource in Spain, which is why it is important to preserve the largest number of trees possible through the recycling of wood. A ton of chipboard would require six entire trees. However, thanks to recycling, these trees can be preserved.
This sector, which plays a leading role both within society and within the environmental field, will be strongly represented at TEM TECMA 2006, the International Town-Planning and Environment Exhibition, which will take place between 13th and 16th June next at Feria de Madrid.
At an environmental level, wood plays an essential function in reducing the greenhouse effect and global warming, two phenomena produced by the concentration of numerous gases, such as CO2. According to the Spanish Wood Recycling Association, ASERMA - a participant at TEM TECMA 2006 - trees process some 1.85 tons of CO2 for every ton of wood (a conventional pine tree weighs 4 tons), which is why trees are essential for improving the quality of the environment. Furthermore, the recovery of this material provides a renewable source of energy, biomass (the name used for wood when it is used as an energy source), which serves as a replacement for conventional fossil fuels such as coal.
Furthermore, we must not forget the fact that the recovery process generates numerous jobs and encourages geographically dispersed socio-economic development. According to the latest figures, the sector presented a turnover in 2005 of more than 50 million euros and created between 950 and 1,100 direct jobs, as well as thousands of indirect jobs.
The Recycling Process
The first step in this process is to collect wood remains at a specific warehousing point. Once the warehouse is full, the material is transported to the processing centres where the wood is subjected to the processes of classification, cleaning and reduction. Finally, the resulting product is used for:
The manufacture of planks.
Obtaining energy: both electrical and thermal.
The manufacture of compost: the production of organic additives.
Cattle bedding.
Recyclable Wood Elements
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Cuttings Pieces of varied size and dimensions that range from several centimetres to more than a metre
Sawdust Wood dust
Wood shavings Wood fibre
Pallets Horizontal platforms used as the base for transporting
merchandise
Wooden containers Fruit boxes or boxes for transporting machinery
Furniture Chairs, tables, cupboards .....
Building and demolition remains Wood from
ceilings, beams, supports, doors and windows
Pruning remains Wood from tree maintenance and care tasks, both in the countryside and in urban areas, which create wood for recycling in the form of trunks, branches and leaves.
Bobbins The coverings of cables and hoses of large canalisation systems.
Treated wood Sleepers, posts ...
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(Fonte de informação: Ifema)
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