Timber recycling

Demolishers pulling timber from an old wool store in Sydney, which will later be re-used for timber flooring

Timber recycling or wood recycling is the process of turning waste timber into usable products. Recycling timber is a practice that was popularized in the early 1990s as issues such as deforestation and climate change prompted both timber suppliers and consumers to turn to a more sustainable timber source. Recycling timber is the environmentally friendliest form of timber production and is very common in countries such as Australia and New Zealand where supplies of old wooden structures are plentiful.[citation needed] Timber can be chipped down into wood chips which can be used to heat homes or generate electricity.[citation needed]