Sawdust disposal

[Chet]

The neighborhood was officially notified by the company that does our garbage pick up that we can no longer put sawdust in with our green waste.  This is puzzling on two fronts.  One, they take all of the green waste and mulch it... I have done that part for them already.  And two, most everything else that goes in the green wast is made up of basically the same organic material as sawdust.

[Jfitz]

Interesting.  A quick search on The Google shows that most companies accept sawdust in their recycling stream.

It might be worth a call to see what the reasons are for that decision - if it's something in the dust itself that has them concerned (such as finish/varnish, etc, from sanding operations, or different types of wood like walnut that can be a no-no for a lot of uses) , or if it's a material handling issue (i.e. the 'dust' in 'sawdust' causing them issues when it blows around).

I know around here, the dust from floor refinishing is a no-no because of the amount of old finish mixed into the sawdust.

 

 

[drzaius]

I bet it's because of the possibility of getting treated lumber sawdust in there. Wouldn't take much of that to kill the whole composting process.

[Eric.]

Throw it in your compost pile with your naner peels and meat gristles.

[Chet]

I was talking with the driver as he left the notice on my can.  He said that it was the dust it creates when he dumps the can in to the truck.  I mentioned that if I now have to put it in my regular garbage can, isn't going to create that same dust when that truck dumps the can.  He shrugged his should and walked away. 

[Chet]

1 minute ago, Eric. said:

Throw it in your compost pile with your naner peels and meat gristles.

I do but sometimes there is more then needed.  I even throw some loose in the garden beds.  But you know every once in a while you have one of those projects that push the limits.  I probably dump it in the green waste twice a year.

[Woodenskye]

Our trash guys take everything, so I guess I'm lucky.  If you have a fireplace, I know there are ways to turn sawdust into logs for starting a fire.

[Eric.]

I'm lucky too...have some woods in the backyard.  The woods don't care.

[RichardA]

My woods were penned in for my two wolves to roam. The female was a digger, I mean big time digger, under both dog houses, and under the base of about 5 trees. So mulching the wolf pen I've done while they were alive.  Now that both are gone, I'm filling some damn big holes with my dust!

[Derek_PNW]

I am not sure of the expense, but could you buy those brown paper yard waste bags from the big box stores to contain the sawdust and then expose of the excess sawdust from those couple of projects?

Also as the driver comes by, offering him a cup of coffee or a snack for the rest of his route goes a long way. I have done this with the garbage guy and he has told me to always feel free to set extra MDF/plywood cut offs out and he will pick them up for free. Relationships and payoffs work.

I bag it up in big black trash bags, put it in my trusty GTI, and drive it all over to my parent's woods and dump on their massive compost pile (obviously I reuse the black trash bags).

[Derek_PNW]

4 minutes ago, RichardA said:

My woods were penned in for my two wolves to roam. The female was a digger, I mean big time digger, under both dog houses, and under the base of about 5 trees. So mulching the wolf pen I've done while they were alive.  Now that both are gone, I'm filling some damn big holes with my dust!

That is awesome that you owned wolves! I bet they brought a good challenge for wrestling. My 25lb labradoodle puts up a fight, but she is so little and fluffy. . .

I also met a 6 week old gray wolf pup on the beach which was being socialized. Poor girl was left by the parents.

Didn't mean to hijack. But I thought that was too cool to not comment on!

[RichardA]

Just now, Derek_PNW said:

That is awesome that you owned wolves! I bet they brought a good challenge for wrestling. My 25lb labradoodle puts up a fight, but she is so little and fluffy. . .

I also met a 6 week old gray wolf pup on the beach which was being socialized. Poor girl was left by the parents.

No one owns wolves, They allow you to be in their pack. M y male was 165# and never had a problem pinning me to the floor in order to soak my face with wolf saliva.  You haven't lived until you've been french kissed by a female wolf!

[Ronn W]

 I have never had a problem with mine,  I put it in the garbage bin, not the recycle.  No complaints,  I would call and ask the proper way but probably better to leave sleeping dogs (or wolves) lie.

[Chet]

35 minutes ago, Ronn W said:

I put it in the garbage bin, not the recycle

Yea, this is what I will have to do from time to time from know on.

[shaneymack]

 french kissed by a female wolf!

 

Man that's hot !

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Unknown craftsman]

I don't have sanding dust but I do have jointer and planer shavings.I have seen the truck dump my can and it sure does make a big cloud.

I also have a pile behind my shop that was so big I got a warning from the local firedepartment.Spontaneous combustion is a real thing I guess.

Aj

[Tpt life]

If you compost, turn the dust into the earth and do not let it sit on top. It will decompose much faster if turned under.

[logos]

I wish the the yard waste pick up took it here. I usually spread a few bags in the garden and save some for when I take a load of off cuts to wood waste management.

 

I'm always a bit unsure which exotics, if any, are harmful to the garden or yard.

 

Does anyone have any info as to which species should not be used as mulch?

 

[Pondhockey]

4 hours ago, logos said:

I'm always a bit unsure which exotics, if any, are harmful to the garden or yard.

Does anyone have any info as to which species should not be used as mulch?

Good question!  I'm also considering what to do with the mulch, and there are definitely a variety of wood species involved.

[wdwerker]

The leaves from a southern magnolia don't compost even if you grind them up. It just makes a boundary layer that never goes away. So I send exotic dust & shavings to the dumpster. Some bags of shavings end up mulching around the yard on occasion.

[Tpt life]

10 hours ago, logos said:

which exotics, 

You may know this and that may be why you said exotics, but for anyone else reading... It is not just exotics. We would not put any nut tree leaves in the garden as they can carry blights that will hurt certain garden plants like potatos and tomatos which are nightshade variants. That means no walnut or hickory. I don't know that it matters around most grasses or trees, but I'd do some experimenting before I got a whole bunch of plants sick. 

[collinb]

Perhaps if you put in into a paper yard waste bag and seal the bag so there's no dust problems ...

[SeventyFix]

I live next to some open land with a large low area.  Well, that area isn't as low as it used to be!  

[Bankstick]

I heard of a guy who had a neat way to get rid of leaves.  He would pile them in the back of his pickup truck, drive out in the country, remove the cover and lower the tailgate.  By the time he got back home, the leaves were gone. Hint!  Hint!

I'm saving my sawdust and burn it with my tree junk pile this winter.  Makes a good firestarter.  Just don't toss it on the fire.  WHOOSH!  Did it once.  To hot to stand by a fire right now.

[Immortan D]

6 minutes ago, Bankstick said:

I heard of a guy who had a neat way to get rid of leaves.  He would pile them in the back of his pickup truck, drive out in the country, remove the cover and lower the tailgate.  By the time he got back home, the leaves were gone. Hint!  Hint!