Urban lumberjacking

A salvaged pallet

Urban lumberjacking is a particular type of skipping (UK) or dumpster diving (US) where the focus is to salvage wood either for home construction projects or for home heating.

Deliberate encouragement by businesses

Waste disposal costs are increasing and so some businesses see the deliberate encouragement of this re-use as a means to reduce their own waste stream, and so to reduce their direct costs. The secondary benefits of being perceived as "green" may also be valued as a form of greenwashing. In the UK, Ikea stores place a wood disposal crib near their car park and encourage shoppers to help themselves. This wood is a mixture of packaging, damaged furniture parts, and display shopfitting. As it is largely painted particle board, it's not appropriate for firewood or for external construction, but is still a popular source for indoor projects.

See also

• Recycling
• Timber recycling