Weyerhaeuser Reduces Solid Waste Sent to Landfills by 9%

Waste is not a word that Weyerhaeuser uses often. The company reports that it uses almost every portion – 95 percent – of every log. Wood chips left over from making lumber are used to make pulp and paper. Logs too small for dimensional lumber are processed into engineered wood products such as oriented strand board. And, a substantial amount of energy is generated from wood residuals, also known as biomass fuels.

Many of Weyerhaeuser’s mills actively seek partners and customers who are able to use wood residuals in their products or processes, further reducing materials treated as waste. Obtaining maximum use of raw materials is a key consideration in process improvement, capital modifications, product changes and manufacturing operations.

In addition to these best practices relating to wood fiber, the company’s manufacturing operations recycle other materials where possible. These efforts add up — in 2012, employees helped divert or recycle more than 14 billion pounds of residuals and other waste.

Although most of the residual materials are reused for other purposes or recycled, Weyerhaeuser is committed to reducing the amount of waste it sends to landfills. The company’s 2020 Sustainability Roadmap goal related to waste is to reduce the amount of material per ton of production that its manufacturing facilities send to landfills by 10 percent (compared with 2010 levels); in 2012, the company achieved a 9 percent decrease.

Read more about Weyerhaeuser’s commitment to reducing the amount of waste it sends to landfills in its on-line sustainability report here.