How efficient is forest products manufacturing?
The forest products industry is unique in that it utilizes its own manufacturing by-products for many other uses. When a log is converted to lumber, other products including sawdust, bark, chips and slabs are produced and nearly 100% utilized. Bark and sawdust are generally used as bedding materials for nursery use, while chips primarily go into paper making. Many wood by-products that aren’t used for these purposes are converted to energy by burning them. In many instances, forest product manufacturing facilities produce enough electricity to run their entire operations, and still have enough left to sell back to the power companies! The industry as a whole consumes enough of its own by-products each year to save over 2 million barrels of oil.
