Finding Uses For All That Wood

Of what possible use are all the downed trees and limbs? Nearly every yard has a pile of them, so what will become of them? The News On 6's Rick Wells reports there is a purpose for some of the debris.

Many Tulsa yard cleanup contractors are unloading debris at the Green waste site in north Tulsa. That is being added to the nearly 90,000 cubic yards of debris the city's contractor has hauled out of Tulsa neighborhoods, so far

Beverly Raleigh who lives in east Tulsa was curious about what would become of the waste.

"There's big pieces of tree, what are we gonna do with it? Is it just going to the landfill or are we gonna try to make paper or mulch or something out of it?" asks Beverly Raleigh.

It appears most of the debris will become wood chips and, according to Michael Patton of the Metropolitan Environmental Trust, that's probably the best use for it.

"In a disaster it probably is the only practical thing to do. I'd rather see it chipped and go back to the earth than be burned and pollute the air," said MET's Michael Patton.

Some of the larger pieces can be used as firewood for those who want to come pick it up. It's free for people to haul off.

As for the suggestion that the wood be turned into paper, representatives from the three large paper companies like Orchids in Pryor said the debris would have to be shipped out of state to be processed and not all wood fiber is suitable for paper manufacturing.

The wood chips can become good mulch.