Skip to Main Content
-
Recovery, reuse and recycling by the United States wood packaging industry: 1993-2006
Author(s): Robert J. Bush; Philip A. Araman; E. Bradley Hager
Date: 2007
Source: Proceedings, Dean's Forum on the Environment - Virginia Tech. 172.
Publication Series: Miscellaneous Publication
PDF: Download Publication (125.29 KB)Description
The packaging industry is an important market for wood materials, especially low grade hardwoods. Approximately one-third of U.S. hardwood lumber production is utilized in the production of pallets and containers. The industry recovers significant volumes of pallets and containers from the waste stream for re-use, repair, and recycling. Industry by-products (both wood and non-wood) are recycled for a variety of uses. The result of these activities is conservation of natural resources and reductions of materials in the waste stream. This presentation provides the results of a series of studies of the industry which began in 1992 and continue today. Among other findings, the studies have determined that the recycling/reuse rates of wood materials used by the industry are equal to or greater than those for many metals and plastics. In 1999, we estimated that 4 out of every 10 pallets purchased for use was a recovered, repaired or rebuilt pallet. This translated into the volume of wood from approximate 30 million 12 inch diameter trees.Publication Notes
- You may send email to pubrequest@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
- (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
- We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
- This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
Citation
Bush, Robert J.; Araman, Philip A.; Hager, E. Bradley. 2007. Recovery, reuse and recycling by the United States wood packaging industry: 1993-2006. Proceedings, Dean''s Forum on the Environment - Virginia Tech. 172.Related Search
- Pallets: A Growing Source of Recycled Wood
- Wood Pallets and Landfills - Status and Opportunities for Economic Recovery and Recycling
- Hardwoods in U.S. wood pallet production
XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/29361