Opportunities are expanding for training and
employment in urban and community wood utilization.
Looking to the Future
Regionally, there are opportunities for U&C wood waste
capture through emergency response and for building net-
works for wood utilization and circular economies. Regional
cooperation among state forestry commissions, such as
the Southern Community Wood Utilization Group will have
increasingly important partnership roles to play.
Several insights have emerged from MUW, including the aware-
ness of a diversity of motivations for U&C wood utilization and the
need to focus on generating community goods, benefits, and ser-
vices. Community engagement can create both value and challenges
that require investment and sensitivity. Further, a team of teams
approach may be required in order to secure the range of capaci-
ties, expertise, and experiences needed for a successful project.
Acknowledgements
Federal funds from a USDA Forest Service Wood Innovation Grant were
indispensable in providing start-up funding to establish the MUW project
(22-DG-11083150-11). The findings and conclusions of this article are those
of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the
Tennessee Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Sources of Wood Waste
Nationally, 70.7 million tons (64 mega-
grams/Mg) of U&C wood waste was
generated in the United States in 2010.
This included 36.4 million tons (33 Mg)
of construction and demolition (C&D)
waste from construction, remodeling, or
demolition of residential and commer-
cial structures, and 34.3 million tons (31
Mg) from municipal solid waste (MSW)
such as wood chips, pallets, and yard
waste from tree trimming, removals,
and storm damage. Of these 70.7 million
tons, the USDA Forest Service estimated
that 29 million tons (26 Mg) of wood
wasted (41%) was suitable for recovery
and reuse rather than landfill disposal.
16 CityTREES
