Since Eurodita has been established in 1994, we have always been working on the side of sustainability. Not only are our private label homes made from renewable timber resources that are managed responsibly, they are also non-toxic for the construction site. Since the entire cabin kit arrives in pieces that only need to assembled, rather than building the entire structure from ground up, the process reduces contamination of the glulam house construction area significantly.
As written extensively in our previous post, wood also shows great resistance to time and affects of the elements. This feature of the wood is further enhanced by using glue laminated timber, which strengthens the wood further. This translates to truly long-term durability of our bespoke log homes. The natural question follows – what of recycling. Much about timber recycling is a labour intensive process that is also extremely important to the environment and to the global timber industry. In this post, we will introduce you to the general process of timber recycling, where the recycled timber products are used and what are the challenges faced by the recyclers.
About the recycling process
Waste wood and timber, coming from construction sites, scrap yards and general dump sites, are usually distributed among recycling plants for processing. All wooden pieces are then loaded onto a powerful wood shredder, which breaks the pieces through a variety of processes. The vibrating screener is able to sort out bigger pieces from smaller ones and divide them for different purposes. The large size pieces are re-circulated for construction or other purposes and the very fine pieces are used as animal beddings. Broad mills take everything else that’s in between those two sizes. This process is very efficient and ensures that products are not wasted. Depending on the country you’re in, waste wood and timber is disposed of in landfills, or are collected and brought straight to the recycling plant.
Collecting timber for recycling and other challenges
One of the biggest contributors of timber for recycling are construction sites. The biggest challenge here is the fact that wood is usually a mixture every variety of timber used during construction. Pieces of solid wood can be and are usually mixed with laminated materials, plywood and or treated timber. This is a real challenge for recyclers, because they must all be separated before processing. It is an extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Demolition sites are another rich source of waste wood and timber. Timber is hardly salvageable from these sites, as it’s usually mixed with other materials.
Solutions to recycling
As mentioned before, Eurodita’s solution to challenges faced by recycling is longevity. Glulam log homes are structures, purchased to withstand the test of time and elements. Once constructed, its residential quality ensures that longevity and makes sure that our glulam beams houses only end up in landfills in the most extraordinary of circumstances. Another way we alleviate some of the challenges are the reduction of size and duration of construction sites. While majority of our log home kits do require cement foundation, the rest of it already arrives in pre-built pieces that only require to be assembled together. This drastically reduces the waste that results from long and arduous construction projects. Our flat-packed kits also contain no unnecessary pieces that further reduce timber waste.
In Europe and the entire Western world, lot of resources are allocated to ensure safe waste disposal. Together with new and varied uses for waste timber, the costs of recycling are being significantly reduced. The process is getting ever more efficient in producing better recycled wood at higher quantities. The major challenge of contaminants within timber waste can also be solved by proper education about waste segregation, that is already a rising trend.
Overall, recycling is important and will always be. The challenges it poses can be solved through making the process more efficient and sustainable choices by the customers and the industry. Eurodita is committed to promoting our log home manufacture as a sustainable, long-term offer to the end customer and further reduction of construction site waste.