34 



THE OUTLOOK FOR TIMBER IN THE UNITED STATES 



sizable quantities of shavings, trimmings, and 

 other residues are generated at secondary wood 

 manufacturing establishments producing mill- 

 work, hardwood dimension and flooring, pre- 

 fabricated structures, pallets, and a wide variety 

 of other products. These secondary plants are 

 mainly small and widely distributed, with many in 

 eastern population centers. 



Although statistics on amounts of byproducts 

 generated and used at secondary manufacturing 

 plants are not generally available, a study of 

 establishments in the Midwest 4 disclosed a total 

 production of close to 241 million cubic feet of 

 material which was disposed of as follows: 



Disposal Percent 



Fiber products 12 



Industrial fuel 28 



Domestic fuel 2 



Miscellaneous 24 



Burned or dumped as waste 34 



Total 100 



This limited sample suggests that total produc- 

 tion of secondary plant byproducts in the United 

 States in 1970 may have approximated 900 million 

 cubic feet. Possibly 100 million cubic feet of this 

 material was used for particleboard, or other 

 products. These uses are expected to increase 

 somewhat, although opportunities for expansion 

 are apparently less promising than for primary 



* Carpenter, Eugene M. Wood residues — a cost or a 

 market potential? Woodworking and Furniture Digest 

 73(1), 3 p. June 1971. 



plant residues in view of the character and scat- 

 tered location of secondary residues. 



Bark Residues 



Volumes of bark accumulated at sawmills and 

 other primary processing plants, based upon 

 limited studies and informed judgment, amounted 

 to roughly 2 billion cubic feet in 1970. Most of 

 this sizable volume of material represented a waste 

 disposal problem, as indicated by the following 

 estimates : 



Disposal Percent 



Used for industrial fuel including charcoal 23 



Used for domestic fuel or given away 4 



Used for fiber products 1 



Used for miscellaneous purposes 3 



Burned or dumped 69 



Total 100 



Environmental considerations have added ur- 

 gency to the search for economic uses for the large 

 amounts of unused bark. Some progress has been 

 made in developing markets for bark as soil 

 amendments, mulches, livestock bedding, and 

 charcoal. 5 Rising costs for fossil fuels may also 

 increase the attractiveness of bark, as well as 

 other wood residues, as a source of energy. Some 

 quantities of bark may also be incorporated in 

 certain types of particleboard and other 

 fiberboards. 



6 Mater, Jean. How to turn bark into dollars. Wood and 

 Wood Products 74(l):31-32, 38. 1969. 



