ABSTRACT
A potential recycling option for retired treated-wood products such as larges poles, pilings and timbers is to resaw them into smaller-dimension lumber that can be retreated for further protection.
This option will help in reducing the amount of treated wood disposed of in landfills. The resulting resawn product may not be sufficiently decay resistant because of the removal of the preservative-treated exterior retention area. Another option for recycling retired treated-wood products is to utilize the wood as a raw material for manufacturing new composite wood products. Table 20.1 presents an overview of a number of composite wood products on the market today and their characteristics. The manufacturing of wood composites is an appealing option for recycling wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) because it creates value-added products such as nonstructural and structural panels. Structural panels such as plywood, laminated veneer lumber, flakeboard and oriented strand board are made by using veneers or strands. Nonstructural panels usually include particleboard, fiberboards and cement bonded panels.
