Community Wood Recycling - Ben Moss

This month we talk to Ben Moss from Bristol Wood Recycling Project (BWRP). 

Ben set up the recycling project in 2004 with the aims of: 

• Recycling timber from the waste stream, 
• Promoting social inclusion, 
• Being self funding 
• Providing affordable timber to the community. This is an excellent project that benefits the community on many levels and gets the maximum use out of precious materials. 

BWRP is part of nationwide group of wood recycling projects - hopefully this episode will encourage you to seek out your local project and get involved... or start your own! 

** Warning - there are a couple of choice, naughty words used in this episode.

Community Wood Recycling Podcast links

• Bristol Wood Recycling Project
  https://www.bwrp.org.uk/
  https://youtu.be/LQ8EPcwZOBw
• National body for wood recycling projects
  https://www.communitywoodrecycling.org.uk/
  Start your own wood recycling project - https://www.communitywoodrecycling.org.uk/opportunities/entrepreneurs/
• Triodos Bank
  Article on funding for BWRP - https://www.triodos.co.uk/press-releases/2019/bristol-wood-recycling-project-crowdfunding-launch
  Original Triodos crowdfunding page - https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk/invest/bristol-wood-recycling-project
• Co-ops
  https://www.uk.coop/uk
• Brighton wood recycling project - looking for new premises!
  https://www.woodrecycling.org.uk/
  https://www.communitywoodrecycling.org.uk/save-the-brighton-and-hove-wood-store/

Where does waste wood come from?

According to a 2011 report from The Waste & Resources Action Programme, in 2010 up to 4.3 million tonnes (mt) of timber waste (not including ‘green waste’) was generated. This waste wood comes from a number of different sources including: 

Construction

Wood waste from all sorts of building sites – including new builds and refurbishments – amounts to around 0.85mt per year (2010).

Demolition

Each year, demolition also generates around 1mt (2010) of wood waste. Much of the stuff you will find in an architectural salvage yard – the old bricks, big chimney pots, fireplaces and butler sinks.

Wood processing and manufacturing

This includes wood waste from timber mills, joinery shops and from fencing, furniture and other wood products manufacture and is estimated to total around 0.4mt (2010) per year.

Pallets and wooden packaging

This amounts to around 1mt (2010) per year and includes packaging waste – such as crates, boxes and cable reels and a large proportion of the estimated 56 million (2009) pallets in the UK that are broken or just can’t be reused

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