Ohio City Converts Waste Wood Into Revenue

American City & County

Many cities like Toledo, Ohio, have implemented programs for dealing with municipal waste wood, and for good reason. Normal tree care operations in a sizable municipality can yield a considerable amount of material. Factor in variables such as storm damage cleanup and construction/demolition waste, and urban waste wood becomes a significant issue.

“In the late 1980s we were taking woody material to the landfill,” says Dan Plath, forestry crew leader and woodlot manager for Toledo. “With the laws changing, we needed to shift away from that, so we had to look at other options for dealing with it. Recycling the material into mulch seemed like the most viable option, and actually it turned out to be an inexpensive option, all things considered,” says Plath.

Plath calculates that city yards and woodlots receive on average 100 cubic yards of raw material each day, captured entirely through the city’s own urban forestry operations. Recycling that material creates an abundant supply of mulch for city use, and Toledo also offers mulch for sale to anyone in the area.

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