Residuals and Solid Waste Management
WE MAKE THE MOST OF EACH LOG
Weyerhaeuser uses almost every portion of every log in our manufacturing processes. In fact, we use an average of 97 percent
of each log in our North American operations. Wood chips left over from making lumber are used to make pulp and paper. Logs
too small for dimensional lumber are processed into engineered wood products such as oriented strand board. And we generate
a substantial amount of energy from biomass fuels, including wood residuals.
Many of our mills actively seek partners and customers who are able to use wood residuals in their products or processes,
further reducing waste. Obtaining maximum use of raw materials is a key consideration in process improvement, capital modifications,
product changes and manufacturing operations.
One of our 2020 sustainability goals is to reduce the amount of material sent to landfills by 10 percent compared to 2010
levels. In 2011, we saw an 8 percent increase in the amount of material landfilled per ton of production across our cellulose
fibers and wood products businesses, primarily due to one of our cellulose fiber mills emptying a wet ash pond and another
mill experiencing normal variations in waste generated coupled with lower production.
CELLULOSE FIBER MILLS RESIDUAL MANAGEMENT1
Estimated pounds of residuals per ton of production
| |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
| Burned for energy2 |
3,127
|
3,159
|
3,019
|
3,122
|
3,117
|
| Deposited in landfills |
143
|
124
|
106
|
103
|
118
|
| Land-applied for soil amendment |
11
|
22
|
27
|
20
|
15
|
| Beneficially reused other than for land application |
13
|
20
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
| Recycled |
3
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
| Incinerated |
0.1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Disposed as hazardous waste3 |
0.02
|
0.594
|
0.004
|
0.005
|
0.003
|
WOOD PRODUCTS FACILITIES RESIDUALS MANAGEMENT
Estimated pounds of residuals per ton of production
| |
20073 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
| Burned for energy1 |
373
|
354
|
335
|
361
|
362
|
| Deposited in landfills |
20
|
15
|
12
|
13
|
7
|
| Land-applied for soil amendment |
9
|
7
|
14
|
12
|
11
|
| Shipped off-site for use in other products |
119
|
117
|
119
|
104
|
119
|
| Beneficially reused other than for land application |
46
|
11
|
36
|
42
|
45
|
| Recycled |
2
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
| Incinerated |
0.2
|
0
|
0
|
0.05
|
0.01
|
| Disposed as hazardous waste2 |
0.07
|
0.19
|
0.2
|
0.1
|
0.04
|
HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION STATUS
In 2011, 95 percent of our manufacturing facilities in the United States generated no hazardous waste or were in the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's lowest-risk category for hazardous waste generation.
2011 HAZARDOUS WASTE GENERATION STATUS1 OF WEYERHAEUSER FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
| |
Conditionally Exempt2 |
Small Quantity Generator |
Large Quantity Generator |
| Cellulose fibers mills |
66%
|
17%
|
17%
|
| Wood products manufacturing facilities |
92%
|
4%
|
4%
|
| Wood products distribution facilities and other |
100%
|
0%
|
0%
|
REDUCING AND RECYCLING
In addition to these best practices relating to wood fiber, our manufacturing operations recycle other materials where possible.
As an example, in 2011, 76 percent of our operations recycled post-consumer paper. These efforts add up — in 2011,
over 12 thousand tons of waste were recycled and diverted from landfills.
PERCENT OF FACILITIES REPORTING RECYCLING THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS IN 2011
|
|
| Post-consumer paper |
76%
|
| Plastics |
50%
|
| Metal |
72%
|
| Batteries – vehicle |
70%
|
| Batteries – other |
69%
|
| Used Tires |
67%
|
| Used Oil |
77%
|
| Beverage containers |
69%
|
| Corrugated Cardboard |
61%
|
| Wood pallets, dunnage and construction debris |
53%
|
NORPAC, a joint venture in which we own 50 percent, produces newsprint and premium uncoated mechanical papers for publishers
and printers. These products are made using some post-consumer recycled content.
The NORPAC facility also has the capacity to consume 600 to 700 tons of recycled newspapers daily, the equivalent of more
than 1.5 million newspapers. That's the same number of old newspapers collected daily in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Our use of recovered paper keeps it out of landfills and ensures we get the maximum value out of wood fiber. Not all paper,
however, can be made from only recovered paper. Wood fiber gradually wears out, and a single fiber in a sheet of paper can be recycled only between four and ten times.
Beyond that limit, the fiber loses its strength and is no longer useful in making new paper. Papermakers must introduce
a continuous stream of new fiber to replace fiber weakened through repeated recycling.
Recycling in office buildings
In 2011, recycling efforts at our Corporate Headquarters region resulted in approximately 74 percent of our residuals being
recycled or composted. This expanded recycling program also includes composting food waste from our cafeterias, which diverts tons of material
from landfills each year.
Reducing waste from construction sites
Our real estate business, Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company (WRECO), and their five homebuilding subsidiaries, are constantly
finding innovative ways to reduce construction waste. As an example, you won’t find a dumpster on a Quadrant construction
site. In 2009, a team of Quadrant employees reviewed dumpster contents and came up with eight objectives to reduce waste,
ranging from increasing vendor accountability to improving reuse and recycling levels. In the end, the solution was to eliminate
dumpsters at construction sites and work with each vendor to manage their own waste. Many vendors were able to reduce or
eliminate waste altogether, or find options for reuse or recycling. One vendor found an alternative to the plastic sheeting
used to cover soil after excavation—reusable hay blankets. The use of the hay blankets stopped the one-time use of the disposable
plastic film, resulting in the equivalent of 12 football fields less material going to the landfill. For another example,
watch this video of Pardee Homes creative solutions to reducing construction waste.
