Recycling wood creates jobs and cuts carbon
Recycle: Galliford Try's Paul Thompson (centre) helps Daniel Kennedy (left) and Anthony Gallant
Our parent company Galliford Try has been working with a social enterprise in Northumberland which is creating jobs by recycling more than 100 tonnes of wood.
Galliford Try’s construction site in Blyth – where it is building 60 homes – is one of several which community interest company ReBuild North East regularly visits to collect the waste material and save much of it from going to landfill.
It is put to all sorts of uses, such as being crafted into saleable products or wood-chipped for gardens and fuel, while also creating employment for local people. Every tonne of wood reused saves the same weight in CO2, compared to normal disposal.
Galliford Try site manager Paul Thompson said: “I think it is a tremendous idea. Waste wood gets put to much better use and people get work to collect it and learn new skills making products out of our timber. For us it is also less expensive so everyone wins.”
Formerly unemployed Anthony Gallant said: “Now, as well as collecting the wood I am learning joinery skills to turn it into things like garden furniture or fencing. It’s varied work and very enjoyable.”
ReBuild is the North East regional franchise holder with the award-winning Community Wood Recycling, which last year collected 8,510 tonnes of wood from building sites around the UK.
