They’ve always said that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” – and it seems like the adage is truer than ever. Nowadays, you can turn most items classed as junk into something useful. When it comes to old timber, you have the option of upcycling, reusing or recycling to prevent it from ending up in a landfill. Timber is actually one of the most versatile materials available, meaning there’s no need for you to just throw it out with the trash.

Whether it’s old piece of furniture or the branch of a tree you’ve cut down, here’s how you can make the most of your unwanted timber.

Upcycle

When you upcycle timber, not only will you help to look after the planet but you can also save heaps of money on unique items for your home. Simply by embracing your creativity, you can transform unwanted waste into a one-of-a-kind piece that suits your style perfectly. For example, it’s easy to turn wooden crates into a statement table for the living room or your outdoor area. Meanwhile, planks alone will make a simple yet rustic garden path or a feature wall in your chosen room.

If you’ve got some leftover timber flooring, use it to create some wall shelves and drinks coasters to match your new floors. Old timber ladder? Cut it to a reasonable size and suspend over the kitchen table to hang some lights. You could even give dated pieces of furniture a lick of paint and then sell them at a garage sale to make some cash. There are so many ways to upcycle timber items – the only limit is your imagination.

Reuse

Regardless of whether it’s for commercial or domestic use, reusing timber is much cheaper than buying new. Just think about all the wood that went into making your garden shed or that extra-large dining room table. Throwing it away doesn’t bear thinking about. And if you’ve got a building project coming up – for example making a bedhead or kitchen benches – why not take the old and make it new again?

By reusing your timber, you’ll be opting for the eco-friendly option and saving more trees from being cut down. It’s dead easy to dismantle old timber floors, structures and furniture to use in new projects. But if you haven’t got any wooden items at home that you can pull apart, you can source second-hand timber from boot sales, shops and suppliers. The old marks and nail holes on the wood will just add to the character of your timber and your completed building projects.

Recycle

It goes without saying that timber is a recyclable material. With so much waste timber and wood being disposed of each year, we all need to step up and act positively to protect our forests. Besides, timber can be transformed into so many useful things that we often take for granted. Old wood is perfect for breaking down into wood chips and sawdust for animal bedding.

What’s more, timber can be used to produce biomass energy. Your scrap timber can be burned and used for heat, power and electricity generation. In fact, wood is the largest biomass energy resource today. That means you can help to cut the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.

If you want to get your hands on some recycled timber located near where you live, check out Yellow Pages listings today.