The following provides an overview of the primary reuse markets for recycled Forestry debris and end-of-life manufactured Landfilled wood. These emerging markets are diverse, offering significant opportunities for sustainable recycling and social economic community value creation. Below, we highlight the key sectors within the Canadian Wood Recycling industry that benefit from each type of recycled Wood material.
These are the initial Forestry debris and end-of-use Manufactured recycled Wood product and material entry level resale reuse application markets across Canada.
Clean Wood Chip/Mulch Landscaping Products
• Recycled Materials: Forestry slash and end-of-life manufactured wood waste.
• Market: Shredded recycled clean wood is used in agriculture and landscaping for compost and mulch, enhancing soil moisture, suppressing weeds, and improving soil health. It also provides fiber for products like biochar and waste-to-energy applications, supporting sustainable energy production.
• Products: Wood chips, mulch, bark, wood-based ground covers, and fiber feedstock.
Construction Materials (Salvage Recycled Lumber)
• Recycled Material: Construction & demolition salvaged infill, wood
• Market: Recycled wood can be repurposed as salvaged lumber or dimensional wood for non-structural applications such as flooring, decking, and furniture. If the wood meets regulatory standards, it can be reclaimed and registered as engineered timber, making it suitable for structural building construction.
• Products: Recycled lumber, beams, framing, decking, siding, furniture and decorative.
Furniture and Decorative Wood Products
• Recycled Material: Salvaged, C&D, Beetle-infested timber waste wood.
• Market: Some higher-quality recycled construction & demolition wood, even from beetle-damaged trees, can be used to create furniture and decorative items. This market focuses on the aesthetic value of the wood, particularly if the insect damage can be removed or used in a creative way.
• Products: Recycled wooden furniture, home decor, and craft products.
Wood Based Biochar Production
• Recycled Material: Forestry debris, slash, wildfire remnants, beetle-infested timber and clean C&D waste wood.
• Market: Biochar is a sustainable charcoal produced from wood waste, with versatile applications including soil amendment, carbon sequestration, water filtration, air purification, animal feed additives, compost enhancement, wastewater treatment, bioenergy production, carbon-neutral construction, horticultural products, and medicinal uses. Products: Biochar for agricultural use, carbon sequestration, fuel, medicinal applications, and waste-to-energy solutions.
Soil Amendments and Erosion Control
• Recycled Material: Forestry debris, slash, wildfire remnants, beetle-infested timber and clean C&D waste wood.
• Market: The recycled wood can be used in soil erosion control, especially in areas affected by wildfires or landslides. It can be used to create erosion control blankets or other products that stabilize soil and prevent degradation.
• Products: Erosion control mats, wood fiber products, and soil stabilization products.
Reclamation and Restoration Projects
• Recycled Material: Wildfire remnants and slash.
• Market: Recycled wood can be used for reclamation projects, especially after forest fires, to help restore ecosystems. The material can be utilized in projects that require erosion control, habitat restoration, and landscape rebuilding.
• Products: Materials for habitat restoration, forest reclamation, and wildlife habitat improvement.
Wood Composite Products
• Recycled Material: Forestry debris, slash, beetle-infested timber, log sort yard waste, and other types of low-grade wood.
• Market: The manufacturing of wood composite materials, such as particle board, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and oriented strand board (OSB). These materials are used in furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and construction.
• Products: Particle board, MDF, OSB, and other engineered wood products.
Wood Pellet Production
• Recycled Material: Slash, log sort yard waste, and beetle-infested timber.
• Market: Wood pellets are a renewable energy source commonly used in heating systems (especially in residential or industrial settings). The wood waste is processed into small, compact pellets that burn efficiently.
• Products: Wood pellets for residential and commercial heating.
Wood Flour and Other Powdered Wood Products
• Recycled Material: Slash, wildfire remnants, beetle-infested timber, and log sort yard waste.
• Market: Wood flour, a finely ground wood product, is used in the production of plastics, paints, and as a filler material in certain products like composite wood or plastic lumber. It is also used in the manufacture of animal bedding, especially for poultry and other small animals.
• Products: Wood flour for industrial, composite, and animal bedding applications.
Pulp and Paper Production
• Recycled Material: Low-quality wood, slash, wildfire remnants, and log sort yard waste.
• Market: Wood fibers from low-grade timber and waste wood can be used in the production of pulp for paper products. This market is especially valuable for producing sustainable paper and other cellulose-based products.
• Products: Pulp for paper, cardboard, and other fiber-based products.
Biomass Energy
• Recycled Material: Slash, wildfire remnants, beetle-infested timber, and other wood waste.
• Market: Biomass power plants, which burn wood chips and other forms of wood waste to generate energy. Biomass is considered a renewable energy source, and these plants use the recycled wood to produce electricity or heat.
• Products: Wood chips, wood pellets, and other small-sized wood products suitable for biomass combustion.
By tapping into these various markets, recycled forestry debris, slash, wildfire remnants, beetle-infested timber, log sort yard and end-of-life manufactured landfilled waste wood can be transformed into valuable products, contributing to sustainability, economic development, and the reduction of waste.
“The future isn’t just something we wait for—it’s something we build through conscious, eco-friendly actions now.”
JD