Waste timber: free resource separate

In order to disseminate waste management information across the industry, the

Business Solutions Group at TRADA Technology has developed a free industry resource,

the Timber Recycling Information Centre, accessed via the internet at www.recycle-it.org.

The project is funded by Biffaward and TRADA and is being developed through

the Timber Industry Environment-tal Trust.

TRADA technologies views the website as a significant opportunity for the industry

to improve its approaches to the sustainable use of timber. “Waste management

is an integral part of purchasing,” says project manager Phil Becker. “It’s

no good buying PEFC or FSC-approved products and then not making the effort

to reduce the amount of timber thrown away. It has been estimated that up to

40 per cent of these products end up as waste.”

But as well as being a valuable industry tool, www.recycle-it.org will be a

practical educational resource providing a direct link between the timber industry

and education. Stan Terry is project co-ordinator and a product of HTI Leadership,

a not-for-profit organisation which aims to improve links and understanding

between industry and education by placing senior educational managers in business

placements for up to 12 months.

He explains: “The Timber Recycling Information Centre will link into both

primary and secondary schools and provide information that can be used by teachers

and students as part of the National Curriculum Key Stages one to five. The

site will utilise real life examples from timber-using industries to help curriculum

progress. Development meetings with teachers at all key stages have already

taken place and their advice is being incorporated into the website design.