Oxfordshire finds use for low-grade waste wood

The county has previously had a wood collection service at its CA sites, but this was mostly for virgin and good quality wood. This material was either chipped for new products or used for fuel.

” Separating wood at all our waste recycling centres is going to make a big difference. “
– Cllr Roger Belson, Oxfordshire CC
Now each CA site has been provided with a wood bin that accepts a variety of types of wood including chipboard, medium density fibreboard and plywood – but not formica material or any wood contaminated with creosote.

In the first month since the recycling sites have been accepting a wider variety of wood waste, on average they have collected an extra 65 tonnes of wood each month.

Councillor Roger Belson, Oxfordshire county council's member for sustainable development, said: “Separating wood at all our waste recycling centres is going to make a big difference. This will mean significant reduction of the amount of biodegradable waste we send to landfill in Oxfordshire and help to increase our recycling rate.”

The council is paying 23 per tonne for the material to be collected, plus transport costs, by farming company Land Network. The company operates a site in Brackley, Northampton, and treats the material before spreading it on land.

Mervyn Humphrey, one of the directors of the company, explained the recycling process. He said: “We chip the wood and then use it as litter for the livestock based on the farm at the site.

“The material is then mixed with compost and spread mostly on non-grazing arable land and a small portion goes on livestock land,” he added.

He said: “Not only does this reduce our farming costs but is an added benefit to the environment.”