Sawdust Disposal

• Why is proper disposal of sawdust important?
• How is sawdust disposed of?
• Sawdust recycling and composting
• How does sawdust waste collection work?

Responsible sawdust disposal is important to protect the environment. Most sawdust is natural and made from pure wood, which will biodegrade. However, if you create waste sawdust from sawing, sanding, milling, planning, or routing any timber or wood that was chemically treated it could cause problems. The chemicals the sawdust contains could leach into landfill.

This can spread to nearby water sources. Any sawdust in landfill – whether chemically treated or not – adds to pollution levels and takes up space when it could be reused or recycled. Improper storage, management, and disposal of sawdust can pose a fire risk too due to its dry and flammable nature if the conditions are right.

The proper disposal of sawdust for businesses can also lower your waste management costs. Reusing and recycling sawdust rather than sending it to landfill reduces the amount of landfill tax you pay for its removal and disposal. Protect the environment and your company’s finances with responsible waste sawdust disposal.

Recycling sawdust isn’t possible as the material is very fine shavings of wood. It can’t be turned back into timber or the natural wood that it once was due to its condition. Therefore, recycling sawdust isn’t an option any waste management sites offer for homes or businesses with such waste.

However, one form of sawdust recycling is composting, which avoids the waste from going to landfill. Waste sawdust is sent to industrial composting sites where it’s processed alongside other organic waste, like food and garden waste. This large-scale composting recycles the sawdust into fresh organic matter that’s used on farms, gardens, and other land.

Industrial composting of sawdust works just like the same process in your garden but on a much bigger and faster scale:

• Waste sawdust is sorted and added to long piles of compost (windrows). These can reach 100m in length and four metres in height.
• Temperatures can reach around 60°C to speed up the enzymes and bacteria working while killing off harmful microbes, diseases, and plant seeds.
• The windrows are regularly turned – every three to five days – to introduce new oxygen.
• Contaminants and any debris are removed with large uncomposed items reintroduced and the process is repeated until they break down.
• The compost is graded and sent to farms, gardens, and other projects.

Clean untreated sawdust can sometimes be reused rather than treated as waste. Environment Agency rules in England recognise certain uses of untreated sawdust and shavings for animal bedding and other approved purposes. Sawdust supplied directly as a genuine by-product can also fall outside waste controls. Do not reuse sawdust from treated wood, MDF, painted boards or unknown workshop mixtures without confirming that the material is suitable.

When you no longer have a use for sawdust you must arrange removal by licensed waste carriers from your business. They’ll safely and legally collect and transport the waste sawdust for disposal or composting at an appropriate site. However, there are many other uses for sawdust you could try at your business or home.

Any contaminated sawdust (such as that already used for animal bedding) should be disposed of properly. If you’ve produced fresh sawdust as a byproduct of your business operations though, there are various ways it can be useful. Reusing sawdust benefits the environment and your company, as you won’t have to worry about arranging its disposal.

Here are a few things to do with sawdust rather than disposing of it:

• Use sawdust as animal bedding – one of the most common sawdust uses is for animal bedding. It’s often used for everything from hamsters to horses, as well as in litter trays. Check the type of sawdust carefully though as not all kinds are appropriate (black walnut is dangerous for some animals).
• Clean up spillages – another of the most popular uses for sawdust is to clean up any spills and messes. It can soak up water and drinks as well as trickier substances like oil and solvents. Simply have a bucket of sawdust to hand, sprinkle some over the mess, wait a couple of minutes, then sweep it up for disposal.
• Use as a fuel source – sawdust is a common material to use as a fire starter due to its flammable properties. Mix it with wood chips and candle wax then pour it into a mould and leave to solidify. It’s a great option that gets rid of the sawdust completely and provides a source of fuel.

Book waste sawdust collection from your company anywhere in the UK with Business Waste. We can provide free bins, bags, and containers to store your waste sawdust with no delivery or rental fees – you only pay for sawdust collection. All waste sawdust is disposed of properly and away from landfill to help protect the environment.

Our sawdust collection service is available on a daily, weekly, or fortnightly basis to suit your needs, with ad hoc collections also possible. Licensed waste carriers will remove your waste sawdust and transport it to a nearby waste management site for sorting and processing before it’s disposed of responsibly.

Tell us the material source, volume, how it is stored and how often you need it removed, and we’ll confirm the appropriate collection setup.