Workshop Waste

[Bojobo]

Hi everyone,

I would like to find out the different ways people deal with their workshop waste i.e. offcuts, wood/mdf dust etc.

We currently use large 1100l bins for our offcuts (after cutting them down to approximately A4 size), a recycling bin for cardboard and plastics and a separate collection for our extraction bags of dust/chippings. The dust is a mix of soft/hard wood, chipboard and mdf. Each bag is always mixed.

It's the bags of dust/chippings that we're having the most issues with, the collector has just tripled his price due to the weight of the bags.

In an ideal world we'd purchase a wood burner but we'd prefer not to in our current set-up, similarly a briquette maker would be great but then we need to take the time to feed it 9 BIG bags a week.

We're London based and would love a cost effective solution for the dust/chipping collection.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks in advance

 

[EssexChris]

How much work/expense would be involved in setting up separated extraction for wood chippings from the planer from the dust containing mdf? Would this be viable if anyone with stables would collect the chipping for free then you would just have the dust to dispose of.

 

[Trevanion]

I suppose you can't get away with leaving it in one big pile out back and setting it alight every once in a while

 

[AJB Temple]

Friend of mine runs an oak framing business. Not just oak. They produce much more waste than you, and they convert the whole lot for sale:

Big bits are sold as seasoned wood for log burners (sold by the sack for silly money = expensive)
Everything else is compressed into bricks and sold for fires and BBQ

They make money out of it. More than pays for the time and kit. Almost zero waste disposal cost.

They have hardly any MDF mind you.

 

[Honest John]

My wast tends to congregate on my table saw surface until I want to use it, then it gets moved to the bandsaw table. Occasionally some bit get used as caulks when gluing up, but mostly they do the circuit until I have a paddy and cart the lot offto the tip :roll: smaller problem than yours I think, and I guess not very helpful. :shock:

 

[Tasky]

In an ideal world we'd purchase a wood burner but we'd prefer not to in our current set-up, similarly a briquette maker would be great but then we need to take the time to feed it 9 BIG bags a week.

Can you take on an apprentice?
Are there any Boy Scouts or Girl Guides, or indeed anyone looking for a part-time/side job?

Split the profits 50/50, the briquette kit will pay for itself soon enough while the dedicated operator will make some reasonable cash.

 

[woodbloke66]

It's the bags of dust/chippings that we're having the most issues with, the collector has just tripled his price due to the weight of the bags.

I guess this is trade waste you're trying to dispose of? Difficult I guess because of the sheer volume of dust and chippings that can be generated by a business. I think most hobbyists (like me for example) don't have too much of an issue simply because we (read I here) don't produce all that much. The quantities of chippings from the p/t that I do produce can occasionally be bagged up in a black bin liner, dumped in grey household wheely bin and taken away by the bin men.
No expert here, but moderate quantities (not walnut I believe) can also be composted? - Rob

 

[DannyEssex]

Where abouts in London are you?

I work for a large recycling company and we accept wood dust, either tipped by yourself at one of our transfer sites or collected, which could be in a large enclosed bin (14 or 16 yard) and picked up and exchanged when full.

 

[sammy.se]

Hi,

I could certainly do with some off cuts for jigs and small projects etc.
Would you be open to me popping down and filling my car boot with some of your off cuts?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[Bojobo]

How much work/expense would be involved in setting up separated extraction for wood chippings from the planer from the dust containing mdf? Would this be viable if anyone with stables would collect the chipping for free then you would just have the dust to dispose of.

Thanks Chris - a nice idea but unfortunately that's not viable due to the variety of materials going through the machines

 

[Bojobo]

I suppose you can't get away with leaving it in one big pile out back and setting it alight every once in a while

Hah! If only that were possible we'd save a fortune

 

[Bojobo]

Where abouts in London are you?

I work for a large recycling company and we accept wood dust, either tipped by yourself at one of our transfer sites or collected, which could be in a large enclosed bin (14 or 16 yard) and picked up and exchanged when full.

Thanks Danny. We're in N15... Tottenham. We haven't got room for an enclosed bin but could possibly bring the bags to one of your transfer site. How would that work exactly? Could we bring the bags in the back of our van? And does it matter that some contain MDF dust?

 

[Bojobo]

Hi,

I could certainly do with some off cuts for jigs and small projects etc.
Would you be open to me popping down and filling my car boot with some of your off cuts?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Hey Sammy - absolutely, happy to help... N15 Tottenham. PM me for further details

 

[Bojobo]

Friend of mine runs an oak framing business. Not just oak. They produce much more waste than you, and they convert the whole lot for sale:

Big bits are sold as seasoned wood for log burners (sold by the sack for silly money = expensive)
Everything else is compressed into bricks and sold for fires and BBQ

They make money out of it. More than pays for the time and kit. Almost zero waste disposal cost.

They have hardly any MDF mind you.

That's an excellent way to get rid of waste! Unfortunately too much MDF and chipboard going into our bins though

 

[doctor Bob]

Unfortunately it's just a factor which you get used to. We use 14 yard skips, one every 2 weeks which is £10000 a year, painful but just the way it is. Like you we have mixed waste which causes issues with recycling, We seperate card and thats it, I burn all hardwood offcuts on my wood burner and supply half the village.

 

[ColeyS1]

I was in a similar situation years ago and decided to bite the bullet and get a briquette machine. It hasn't paid for itself in terms of sales but it saves soooooooo much hassle and was completely worth it. The saw dust/chippings get extracted straight into the hopper so no emptying dusty bags anymore. I think the price has nearly doubled since I bought it though.....

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[Bojobo]

Thanks ColeyS1... what machine did you go for?

 

[ColeyS1]

The first one I bought was a holytek pile of junk. I ended up getting a full refund because it just didn't work. It was the type that had a round drum type hopper on the top.
The second (one I have now) has a rojek badge but the actual machine is

What's making me wonder a little bit is how much it's cost to run to date.....? 4.4kw on the badge and

I don't wanna know, I don't wanna know ! Ha
Joking aside I don't know how I'd manage without it now. Every couple of weeks I use to tip the stuff at a local farm. He said he never use to mind but it must have been a nuisance keeping on bothering hin.

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[tomatwark]

We get rid of the shavings to a local farm for his cattle court, as part of the deal he also takes the sawdust which is on a separate extractor.

The off cuts if hardwood go into my wood burning stove at home, or into the workshop heater along with the mdf , ply chipboard and pallets, which is a Talbots hot air heater.

https://www.talbotts.co.uk/products/wood-waste-heating/

The rest the council collect, recycling and separate general waste.

 

[meathead]

Can't u pass it off as sand

whoever said nothing is impossible , obviously as never tried slamming a revolving door