just not right.

[fbelec]

around the corner from here a tree company was removing trees. had to be a crew of 12 guys. 6 trucks. had to be 6 to 7 cord of red oak plus maples. other than the base of the biggest trees (minimum 24 inch across) they all ended up in the grinder. the big base of the trees was put on the log truck. the last one i seen go in the grinder was 50 foot red oak. one piece into the grinder.
i don't know about anywhere else in the country, but around here the tree companys love to grind. it was nice when the town i grew up in had a tree dump. 2 times a year they would open the dump to residents of the town. you load yourself. see you later.
can anyone tell me why the tree companys like to grind?
it's like let's go suck some oil out of the ground and dump it in the sewer over there.

 

[AlexNY]

Maybe they use the ground up tree for something useful, like stove pellets?

Probably not ... but if you want to feel better about the waste, there is some hope that the wood is not going to waste.

Where I live, there is an "informal" firewood recycling program. Tree companies dump rounds at a huge county firewood lot, then bulldozers spread it all out and people come and pick up. I get 50% of my firewood from the waste management facility.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Around me (and you) I know that some of it ends up at a local biomass electrical plant - wonder how much they get per cord equivalent? It is irritating.

 

[fbelec]

very irritating. the amount of wood that they took down would heat my house for 3 years. the 12 guys were there from 9 am to 7 pm. thats alot of wood.

 

[tiber]

Probably woodchips, which seem to sell for stupid amounts here compared to other products like wood pellets. The local noname hardware store here had equally no-name pellets on sale for $4 for 40lbs, which I posted about in the other thread. I think you get half that in mulch for twice the price from them.

Speaking of, do woodchips burn in a stove?

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Well if it is going to a local power station, I'm sure we'll see a reduction in our power costs. Wait, we won't? Oh.

'Spose it's better than just ending up as mulch on someone's flower border.

 

[tutu_sue]

Our tree guy told us that he has to pay for tree disposal, so he told us whenever we need one just call. Maybe if they shred it can be recycled free as compost.

 

[Slow1]

Did you ask them for some of that wood? I've had mixed results with this - but sometimes you can 'rescue' some of the wood for your pile. Never hurts to ask.

I too am annoyed whenever I see perfectly good wood get chipped up. When I hear the sound of a chipper I tend to jump in the truck and go looking for it in hopes of finding some wood still in a useful state.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

I asked a landscape company once - they had a lumber company picking it up. I talked to the lumber company - they left me some nice red oak and some partially rotted (but serviceable) maple. Well worth it...

 

[kenny chaos]

.
can anyone tell me why the tree companys like to grind?
.

It's quicker, safer,more efficient, and ergonomic than cutting nice rounds and stacking so
someone can have free wood?

 

[branchburner]

Speaking of, do woodchips burn in a stove?

I put some in egg cartons and small paper bags and use them as starter, or very rarely as a "log" when I'm reloading.

It's funny how we look at "waste" as worthless. To folks who don't burn, a dead tree might as well be compost. (A lot of them are!) Nothing like a little financial incentive to change your view. Here in NH, we see all the empties on the roadside as litter. In MA, they are seen as nickels, and behold: clean roads!