Sustainable Material Management In The Woodwork Industry: Everybody Wins

The woodwork industry is well positioned to play a key role in the responsible use of our planet’s scarce resources, reversing the depletion of the world’s forests and the catastrophic impact that is having.

Against that backdrop, it’s reassuring to know there are a lot of ways we can adjust our working practices for the better. This article takes a look at a range of options open to you that are also good for business, many in fact are hard-coded into making your workshop more productive.

Be a material detective

Ensure the materials you use safeguard healthy and resilient forests.

Sustainable sourcing is incredibly important but increasingly easier to manage. Here are two global initiatives to help you do this:

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

Choose from an ever growing list of certified suppliers across your entire supply chain so you know your materials are ethically sourced.

Increasingly customers are looking to buy from certified manufacturers so consider your own certification. Group certifications (for example through trade bodies) are available to make the process simpler for small to medium businesses.

You’ll send out a strong message to your customer that their purchase isn’t at the expense of the world we live in. But you’re also sending out another subliminal message…that you care. Not just about the environment, but about your customers.

Waste not, want not

A good waste management strategy will not only save on materials, done well you’ll also save money and often time too.

Options vary depending on your manufacturing process, here are a few ideas to get you started:

Design software

Providing the on site dimensions are accurate, a good design solution should virtually eliminate production errors; no need to use extra material to recut your parts not to mention the stress this puts on revenues and your time
Software will often come with an accurate material usage report to ensure you don’t over order

A good professional parametric software to consider is PolyBoard, or Sweet Home 3D which is free to use.

Cutting optimisation software

If you cut with a manual or CNC saw, cutting optimisation software will take your cutting list and automatically output a cutting map with sequenced cut list; work fast with ultra low wastage
Some solutions include stock and off cut management; add usable off cuts back in to your stock for future optimisations

CNC machine production

Nesting CNC production is ideal for custom woodwork companies, you cut and machine your parts in one operation from panel material; nesting software will ensure efficient placement of your parts on the panel for minimal waste
It’s really important you use a CNC with good dust collection, both for your own health and so you can reuse that sawdust; more on that later

Recycling opportunities

Entire business models are built around working with reclaimed wood and other salvaged materials, or creating furniture from off cuts.

There are also a huge number of ways to reuse and recycle ‘waste’ materials:

Feed off cuts through a wood shredder and along with your sawdust into a briquetting machine (examples available at WEIMA); use for your own heating needs or to sell on
Chippings can also be used for animal bedding, surface landscaping, for wood composites or directly as a biomass fuel
Alternatively there are loads of commercial recyclers you can partner with to avoid sky high landfill charges

No more throw away designs

Yes, we should absolutely create products that last and that use ethically sourced materials. But how about going one step further…design with ease of recycling in mind.

This can be a tricky topic, but acceptance of the concept is growing. Consider how easy it is to separate metal or plastic fittings from panel and bar materials at the end of a product’s life cycle. And understand the impact of different paint, glue and other additives on recyclability.

This excellent guide is a good place to start: Waste Wood Assessment Guidance for the UK Waste Wood Industry