If you are sourcing your firewood locally, depending upon where you live, it may still come from a variety of sources. Trees can be grown specifically for firewood production in tree lots, or wood can be harvested from natural-growth forests. While forestry and firewood production can be done in an environmentally-friendly manner, if the ethics of firewood production are important to you, reclaimed or recycled wood is the way to go.
“Reclaimed” or “Recycled?”
When people use the word “reclaimed” to refer to wood, they can mean different things.
- One common usage refers to wood that was part of a structure, such as a barn, or a piece of furniture or equipment, such as a wooden pallet, that has been broken down and used to make something new.
- This type of wood is sometimes called “recycled” or “upcycled,” as well.
- “Reclaimed” can also be used to refer to a type of forest land that was once used for mining or grazing, and has been re-populated with native trees.
- So wood products may come from a “reclaimed” forest, and still be produced directly from trees grown for the purpose of harvesting.
“Recycled,” in addition to referring to re-purposed wood, can also refer to products created from industrial wood waste, such as sawdust and wood chips, created by the processing of trees into lumber. Wood pellets, wood bricks, and firestarter logs are often made out of recycled wood waste. This type of recycled wood also includes several building materials, such as chip- or fiberboard, and some types of flooring.
What about “reclaimed” firewood?
- Firewood, with the exception of wood pellets or fabricated logs, is not usually a manufactured product, but logs or pieces of logs that have simply been split from a tree.
- A lot of “reclaimed” wood is actually not usable for firewood, as it has been treated with chemicals that can be toxic when burned.
- Waste from residential and commercial tree trimming and removals, however, is one category of wood that is ideal for recycling as firewood.
- Even wood from diseased trees can be used if handled appropriately.
- Buying firewood and other products reclaimed from the wood waste of the tree service industry helps keep material out of landfills and reduces the demand for unethical forestry practices.
- Additionally, using local waste wood prevents the unsafe transportation of firewood that leads to the spread of tree diseases and pests.
Reclaimed or recycled firewood is the smart choice for both local and global stewardship.
At Burn This Firewood, all of our firewood, kindling, and mulch are sustainably-sourced from waste wood that would otherwise end up in landfills. Our primary partner is Texas Tree Surgeons. Questions about our process or products? Let us know!