Recycling Wood Chips

Wood chips are often abundant after work has been done on a property or land has been cleared. The chips are easier to dispose of than wood, and have many uses on the property and elsewhere. Whether the chips are yours, or you have to search them out, you will find plenty of ways to recycle them.

Compost

Wood chips may be placed into a compost heap and mixed in with the other materials. It is considered green material and is high in carbon, so you will have to be sure to add plenty of brown materials to the heap as well. Wood chips help with air circulation within the pile.

Mulch

The chips may also be used to mulch various places in the yard. Walkways look more attractive when mulch is added. Treed areas look better as well, and the wood chips hold enough moisture that watering is not needed as often. This is beneficial in times of drought.

Insulation

Wood chips are placed in plastic yard bags and lined up around the banking of a manufactured home to provide more insulation during the winter months. This is easier than banking the trailer with plastic and wood slats, and will help to prevent the pipes under the structure from freezing.

Pet Cages

Chips are often used as bedding in the cages of animals such as hamsters and rabbits. When rabbit cages are kept outside all winter, using the chips gives the animals a little extra insulation.

Bag to Sell

Wood chips can be bagged and sold to others. After purchasing, the customers will use the chips in a variety of ways. Try to sell two to three different size bags.

Cemetery Plots

Some cemetery plots do not have nice lawns. To make these areas look nice, you may wish to block in a plot with a wood frame and then fill these in with wood chips. Set up decorations, statues and other items in the areas as you normally would. Be sure this is allowed before starting the project.

Dog Beds

Use the chips to fill homemade dog beds, providing the bed with a layer of insulation. This works particularly well for dogs who sleep in an unheated, indoor area.

Sachets

Create sachets to give as holiday gifts. Wood chips give off a woodsy fragrance that may be enhanced with essential oils if needed. Simply sew two pieces of fabric wrong sides together, and hem the opening. Fill two-thirds the way with chips, and tie closed with a ribbon.

When Snowing

Use the chips as traction. During stormy weather, spread wood chip products, rather than salt, on walkways and in the driveway.

Heat

Some people use the wood chips in their wood furnaces. This saves money on wood and other fuel costs.

Sources

Klickitat County: Wood Chip Backyard Biology
Washington State University Extension: Wood Chip Mulch
Guinea Pigs as Pets: Guinea Pig Care
City of Lawrence, Kansas: Parks and Recreation Department to Sell Woodchips
Article Alley: Red Cedar Dog Bedding Deters Fleas and Ticks

DIY Life: Make Moth Repellent Sachets