Wood Recycling Guide
Businesses and households should recycle wood where possible as it’s a natural resource that can be reused. Recycling everything from old wooden pallets used for transporting goods to bits of scrap timber is the sustainable disposal choice at the end of their lives. Most types of wood are recyclable too.
It’s important to use the correct bin or skip for waste wood to reduce the risk of contamination and ensure it goes to the appropriate recycling facility. An efficient waste management plan helps create efficient commercial wood waste recycling.
Learn how to recycle wood waste from your business with these expert answers to frequently asked questions.
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Can you recycle wood?
Wood is recyclable. Recycling wood is possible as it’s a natural material. Wood is recycled based on its different grades and is often sorted, cleaned, and shredded into chips. These are then used for animal bedding, mulch, or to create new building materials and fresh wood products.
Recycling waste wood is possible with licensed waste collectors for businesses or at many household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) for wood waste from homes. However, you can’t put wood or wooden items in your household recycling bin.
How to dispose of wood
To dispose of wood, your business needs the right size and type of bins, skips, balers, or other containers for storage. Arrange this with Business Waste and we’ll deliver the appropriate skips for your wood waste. Then you simply fill them with your waste and agree on a collection time and location.
Make sure your waste wood is free from contaminants where possible, as bits of metal can interfere with machinery at the recycling plant. However, there’s no need to break down or separate wood by type. After collection, it’s transported to a nearby wood recycling centre where everything’s sorted and processed.
Various UK laws must be followed when recycling wood. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 puts in place measures to control the collection, disposal, and treatment of waste types – including wood waste – while the Hazardous Waste Directive forbids mixing hazardous and non-dangerous waste.
A Waste Transfer Note or Duty of Care Certificate should accompany all movement of waste wood too. This contains legal documents with signatures of both parties sending and receiving the waste wood. It provides proof that the wood was removed, transported, and disposed of safely and legally.
Can MDF be recycled?
You can recycle MDF alongside other types of wood waste. Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) is made from thin veneers of hard or softwood that are glued together. This mixture of materials could make it complex to recycle, but it classes as grade C. When it reaches a wood recycling centre, MDF will be sorted and recycled alongside other grade C woods.
MDF recycling follows a different process from other types of waste wood. This is because MDF contains a mixture of recycled products with hardwood or softwood, formaldehyde and paraffin wax. Recycling MDF involves separating the different materials for recovery and reuse, which is more complex than other types of wood.
Businesses can arrange collection of old MDF with the rest of their wood waste, as it will be sorted, separated, and recycled away from other kinds of wood waste. Households should check if their local household waste recycling centre accepts old MDF for recycling. Many will have a separate bin for MDF away from general wood recycling.
The process for MDF recycling is:
- The MDF boards or products are shredded.
- These chips of MDF are soaked in a liquid medium for a long time.
- It’s then heated to around 90°C, which hydrolyses the bonding resin to free the wood fibres for recovery and re-use.
Is plywood recyclable?
Plywood is recyclable as it classes as grade C, so it can be recycled alongside other types of similar wood. As plywood is made from a mix of woods and treated, it must be separated at a recycling centre and only recycled with other grade C woods.
It’s recycled in the same way as other wood types, usually by shredding it into wood chips for various uses.
How do you get rid of wood pallets?
Wood pallet recycling is the best way to get rid of used or broken wooden pallets. If they’re still intact you can reuse or donate them to another business that can use them. Otherwise, recycling wood pallets offers a sustainable and cost-effective way to get rid of such unwanted packaging.
Arrange collection of your old wood pallets by an authorised carrier, such as with Business Waste. We’ll pick up your old pallets and transport them to a wood recycling centre. Here they’re sorted and recycled – either shredded into wood chips or turned into mulch.
How do you store wood offcuts?
How you store wood offcuts depends on what you intend to do with them. If you’re storing waste wood for recycling or disposal, then having a bin, skip, or roll-on roll-off is best in a size that suits the amount of waste you have. Ensure any wood you throw in remains within the weight limits of the bin.
When you want to store wood offcuts for use in the future – such as for creating furniture or use in a construction project – there are more suitable options. Store wood offcuts in a dry, sheltered place that’s off the ground to keep them dry and away from animals that may damage them. Shelving off the ground can be a great option.
Can wood go in a
recycling bin?
You cannot put wood in a recycling bin at home. This includes even small bits of wood, wood offcuts, and shavings. Instead, visit your nearest household waste recycling centre (HWRC) to recycle wood from a domestic property. There will likely be a separate wood waste bin to ensure it’s properly recycled.
To recycle wood as a business, arrange waste wood collection by licensed waste carriers – such as with Business Waste. This helps segregate your wood waste and avoid contaminating other types of waste. Contact us today for a free quote for waste wood collection and recycling.
Can you put wood in a
garden waste bin?
You can often put small amounts of natural wood in a garden waste bin. Things like twigs, small branches, and bits of bark are usually acceptable. They shouldn’t take up much space and decompose naturally. These are normally fine to put in a domestic or commercial garden waste bin.
If you run a business then check with your waste collector first. When throwing away domestic garden waste check with your local council or authority if wood can be put in a garden waste bin. You should not put big bits of wood, treated wood, or things like wooden pallets and fencing in a garden waste bin.
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- Free quote within 1 hr
- Any type of waste wood
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- We cover all of the UK
Published 27th March 2025 by Graham Matthews.