In Suriname wood waste is a by-product from processing that is currently mostly dumped, burned, or disposed of as firewood. Worldwide wood waste has become more and more interesting for reuse or alternative use. A wide range of innovations have been developed to make money out of waste and increase the recovery rates of raw materials such as wood, which contributes to sustainable use of natural resources and environmentally more friendly practices. This assessment was conducted because several Surinamese companies have indicated that they want to reduce wood waste and introduce processes to reuse remaining woody residues.

This technical report narrates on (1) a range of possible adaptations in timber harvesting and wood processing practices to reduce wood waste, and (2) options for the reuse of wood waste and supporting measures how to introduce these.

This document contains four sections in which the options for the reduction and reuse of wood waste are described.
Section one gives an estimate on the total annual volume of wood waste resulting from timber harvesting and wood processing. The overall recovery rate is estimated at approximately 35%. The total yearly volume is estimated at 200,000 m3 (2012).
Section two states several options for reducing the high volume of loss in timber harvesting and wood processing. Improved timber stock inventories, including better quality grading of standing trees, the introduction of standards and improved training and motivation of forest labor, may significantly contribute to the efficiency in logging results. Adequate maintenance of machinery and improved wood processing will contribute to better ‘size setting’, thus reducing the volume of sawdust and curls. The introduction of standards on ‘dimension stock’ will increase the recovery rate in processing.

Next, section three gives an overview on options for the reuse of remaining wood waste in its various forms. Possibilities to make composite products, the use of wood chips in landscaping and bio-based energy and the use of saw dust and curls in poultry farming are described here.
Finally, section four provides details on a limited selection of the 13 ‘options for reuse’ as provided in the former section. The FSWPS partners selected the following most promising options:

• Reuse: ‘Short ends’ for composite products, both indoor and outdoor
• Recycling: Wood chips for ‘landscaping’ and horticulture (mulch)
• Conversion: Generation of ‘stand-alone’ wood based energy