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REDUCING URBAN FORESTRY WASTE
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Feature Article
(Ontario Arborist, March 2005)
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| Top: Log extractor used for a residential removal. Middle: Logging truck leaving municipal dumpsite. Bottom: Milling urban logs. |
In an era where we are taught to recycle and conserve, reducing waste is something with which we are all very familiar. However, one area typically neglected is urban forestry waste, with annual tree removals averaging around 9,000 in the Greater Toronto Area alone, not including infestation removals such as the Asian Long Horned Beetle. Removals can be a costly affair as municipalities and private arborists are faced with the disposal of such materials and are forced to pay a premium to dump logs. Once dumped, logs are either doomed for a new life as firewood, laid to rot in fields or tub ground into mulch. Looking back on how we have handled urban forestry waste over the years, one would think that there is an over supply of trees in our natural forests to justify treating this resource like we do. Instead of salvaging and processing these removed urban logs to lumber, we most often go into our natural environment and remove acres of forests to produce an equal quantity of wood.
Urban Tree Salvage has started an operation salvaging logs from urban dump-sites and private sector removals and processing them into valuable lumber for the furniture maker, hobbyist and general woodworker. With certification from SmartWood’s Rediscovered Wood program, Urban Tree Salvage (UTS) is third party guaranteed to produce an eco-friendly product. Only logs doomed for landfills, fireplaces or compost are salvaged from dumpsites and arborist’s removals. Located on the east side of Toronto, UTS mills these logs into lumber using a sawmill and then kiln dries the material to a 6-8% moisture content to be sold competitively back to trade and public. Some end users of this finished lumber include Harvest House, Humber College and many small furniture shops across Ontario as well as homeowners and municipalities.
Approximately 73% of Toronto’s urban canopy is privately owned, with many trees growing and being removed in hard to access areas. Typically, the larger logs would have to be chain-sawn on site into small disks and depending on the size, quarter the disks up to fit in a wheel barrow for removal. Not only does this method cause added noise pollution, it makes the tree virtually unusable for lumber. Taking the limited space issue into consideration, Urban Tree Salvage has invented and fabricated a unique piece of equipment capable of removing large logs weighing up to 4,000 lbs from hard to access areas, such as rear residential yards. Adaptable to almost any length or diameter, the log extractor makes removing logs through a standard 36” gate possible. With large turf tires and automotive type steering, the removal impact can be kept at a minimum. Without this piece of equipment, logs of this capacity would never have the chance to be processed into valuable lumber.
During many residential removals, Urban Tree Salvage is often asked by the homeowner, “what will happen to my tree?” UTS is proud to offer a service of providing lumber, furniture, flooring or accessories to customers who have grown attached to their tree and would like a memento. Lumber or products derived from the tree removal can be arranged with UTS for customers that would like to have a keepsake of their tree. Information sheets for the arborist and homeowner on this service will be made available on our website by April/May.
In spring of 2005, UTS will be opening their doors to private arborists and with the cooperation from the acting arborist, UTS will remove logs from private sector removals. Log dumping at UTS’s processing site will also be made available to private arborists in the near future. Prior to log salvage, the acting arborist will need to fill out a simple form created by UTS and return by either e-mail or fax. One very important criterion of UTS is that the tree is being removed due to disease, insects, decline, potential safety hazard or urban development. Urban Tree Salvage will not accept logs removed for other reasons such as cosmetic purposes. The goal of UTS is to help preserve our natural environment through the use of our urban forestry waste and does not promote urban removals for the mere sake of product.
To date, Urban Tree Salvage has recovered approximately 400,000 lbs of logs from entering the waste stream and environment through burning and compost. Dry wood is comprised of about 50% carbon and since CO2 is 44/12 times its carbon weight, wood diverted from landfill and burning will be worth more than its dry mass in CO2 reduction. Capturing this CO2 and keeping it locked into usable wood products, we can expect CO2 reductions around 450 tonnes/year.
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| Above: Stacked kiln charge. |
About Our Company
Urban Tree Salvage is a proud member of the RCO (Recycling Council of Ontario), ONEIA (Ontario Environmental Industry Association) and Earthroots and are supported by The David Suzuki Foundation, United States Department of Agriculture-Forestry Services, Earthroots and the City of Toronto.
Our Concept
Urban tree salvaging is an innovative way to recycle a readily available natural resource. It allows the arborist to offer a greener approach to his/her customers at no extra cost while allowing the consumer the option to purchase ethically collected timber. The goal of Urban Tree Salvage is to eliminate as much urban forestry waste from our city as possible and to aid in the preservation of our natural forests. By educating the public and trade of the necessity of this new urban forestry practice, more cities throughout our country will be encouraged to participate and increase the utilization of urban forestry waste, while decreasing the amount of natural forests being destroyed.
For further information, please contact Urban Tree Salvage at 647-438-7516 or visit www.urbantreesalvage.com
Last Modified: Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Design and maintenance by NPC
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