How To Properly Get Rid Of Waste After Woodworking

Whether you’re in Alaska or Sydney, woodworking is a respected art form that leaves a lot of mess in the form of wood shavings, wood chunks, and sawdust. Whether you’re a newbie woodworker or a veteran wood artist, there’s bound to be a large clean-up after your woodworking project. In some communities, this wood waste might be more appreciated, and in others not so much. If you’re in the latter, you might need to start thinking about ways to dispose of that wood waste.

Here’s everything you need to know about proper wood waste disposal after your woodworking project.

Transport it away

If you’re not planning on doing anything with the waste, shipping it off to someone who is is a good idea. Depending on the amount, it can take a small car or a large truck to remove it from the premises. If you’ve got the time and gas money, you can pack it up in bags and deliver it to where it needs to be by yourself. If there’s too much to handle, get a skip bin hire in Brisbane or Ontario, wherever you may be, to get the job done. There’s no shame in not being able to or not wanting to deal with the wood waste yourself. There are plenty of people out there happy to take that load off your hands, just a simple drive away.

Use as animal bedding

If you have decided to take it upon yourself to dispose of the wood waste, the easiest way to do so is to recycle it and use it for something else! Untreated and natural wood waste is non-toxic and can be used for a variety of things such as bedding for your animals. If you own a farm and do your own work, it makes perfect sense to reuse your wood waste for your chickens or cows. Provide soft, insulating, and comfy bedding for any animal, even your outdoor dogs, and cats. If you don’t have any animals, consider helping out the community and donating or selling your waste to local farmers!

Use as kindling

With the colder seasons coming up, it’s the perfect time to bring out the marshmallows and have a bonfire! Your wood shavings and sawdust make great company for your campfires in the form of kindling. This useful by-product of woodworking makes a great, natural firestarter that will have you and your family keeping warm in no time. You can also use larger pieces of wood waste to keep the fire burning. Untreated wood shavings and sawdust work best as they don’t release any harmful chemicals into the air while burning. Make sure to use dry wood waste to get the best results for your fires.

Get Crafty

If you have a lot of wood waste lying around, odds are you’re already pretty crafty. Instead of disposing of your wood waste, you can try repurposing it in new woodworking projects. From arts and crafts for your kids to patching up things around the house, there are plenty of ways to do this. Fine sawdust mixed with wood glue works wonders when filling up holes. Create a cement-like paste with your shavings, chippings, and sawdust to create art or sculptures. Mix your sawdust with white paint to create fake snow. The opportunities are endless when working with wood waste, so get creative and put it to good use!

Use as mulch or compost

Whether you have wood shavings or sawdust, both make great organic mulch or fertilizer for your plants. This might be the easiest way to dispose of waste while looking out for your plants. Untreated wood waste makes perfect biodegradable mulch, or food, for your plants. Simply gather up your shavings and sawdust and sprinkle them atop the land around your plants. The waste will break down over time and provide a natural fertilizer for your crops or houseplants. If you’re feeling generous, get the whole neighborhood involved and create a community compost heap with your wood waste. Sharing is caring when it comes to composting!

So there you have it! There are plenty of uses for sawdust, wood shavings, and other woodworking by-products. Use your wood waste as natural and comfortable bedding for your animals. Keep everything from your chickens to your dogs sleeping soundly on clouds of wood shavings. Stay warm by using your wood waste as kindling and fire fodder during the colder months. Get crafty with your waste and use it to patch up or improve your woodworking projects. Use it as free and organic mulch or compost for your plants and property. At the end of the day, if you want it off your property, the easiest way is to get a car or a skip bin hire!