The U.S. Wood Products sector is an inherently sustainable, efficient industry for a number of reasons.

Carbon Storage

Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow and convert it into carbon, which continues to be stored in the wood for its lifetime. Fifty percent of wood by dry weight is carbon that was once in the atmosphere. The built environment is responsible for nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions every year. Using a carbon storing material like wood in buildings, instead of high carbon intensity materials like steel and concrete, is an effective way to lower the carbon footprint of the built environment.

Low Energy and Less Fossil Fuels

Manufacturing wood products requires significantly less energy than other structural materials. This is because most of the work has already been done in the forest – the material has been grown through photosynthesis. The remaining processing, such as sawing the log into dimension lumber and drying it in a kiln, require lower temperatures than the fossil fuel-intensive processes used to manufacture concrete and steel.

In addition to requiring less energy, only a portion of the energy used is produced from fossil fuels. Most primary wood product mills use residual woody biomass to fuel their operations. This biomass comes from byproducts, such as bark or wood chips, that are produced from logs as they go through the manufacturing process, which are then burned in boilers to produce energy.

Low Waste

Compared to many manufacturing sectors, wood product production is low waste. Modern mills use nearly the entire log, with almost everything entering the facility becoming a valuable product or a renewable source of energy. Bark, sawdust, and woodchips are repurposed into mulch, pellets, animal bedding, engineered wood products, or burned as biofuel to power mill operations. Over half of the North American lumber industry is energy self-sufficient, relying on its own biomass residuals to fuel mill operations.

Even beyond the manufacturing stage, wood can contribute to waste reduction. Emerging research is showing that mass timber construction dramatically reduces waste on the jobsite, as the pieces are prefabricated and made to fit the building before they arrive. This approach streamlines installation and avoids the significant modifications typically required when constructing with other building materials. Mass timber buildings also contribute to circularity, as they are often designed for disassembly, meaning structural elements can be taken apart and repurposed at the end of a building’s life instead of going to waste.