Wood flooring scraps used to heat city

Scraps from plants where wood flooring is manufactured are being used to heat a city.

In a recent article for the New York Times, Elisabeth Rosenthal reported on the story of Kirstianstad in Sweden.

Ten years ago, the city pledged to drastically reduce its use of fossil fuels and has made great strides in this work.

Ms Rosenthal reports that Kirstianstad and its surrounding areas use virtually no oil, coal or gas to provide heat to homes, despite the notoriously cold weather.

She revealed that scraps from wood floors are mixed with paper mill waste and tree trimmings from local parks, which are then incinerated to provide power for the region's heating grid.

"Once the city fathers got into the habit of harnessing power locally, they saw fuel everywhere: Kristianstad also burns gas emanating from an old landfill and sewage ponds," said Ms Rosenthal.

This comes after the Herald reported on the success of one Scottish firm, which sells wood floors made from whiskey barrels.

By Alan Wicks
 

Date : 15/12/2010
Category: Solid Wood flooring news