Comparative Carbon Footprint Assessment of Door made from Recycled Wood Waste versus Virgin Hardwood: Case Study of a Singapore Wood Waste Recycling Plant

Recycling of wood waste has the benefits of reducing waste stream and avoiding the need (avoided impact) of harvesting virgin wood. To justify these benefits, a carbon footprint assessment methodology is proposed to compare the carbon emissions of a door made from recycled wood waste (technical wood) versus virgin hardwood. Results show that technical wood door has lower carbon emissions of 12.8 kg-CO2eq compared to virgin hardwood door (16.2 kg- CO2eq). When avoided impact is taken into account, technical wood door carbon emissions may even be lower (-2.9 kg- CO2eq). This assessment also identifies the ‘hotspots’ for future carbon emissions improvement.