A strapping 'green' solution to a vital process

• Sawmill shows how recycling can be good for the balance sheet and the environment
• Small investment in recycling leads to savings of € 1 250 per year
• Measure cuts out 1.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually

Lesbats Scieries d’Aquitaine runs two sawmills in the Landes forest in Gascony, Southwest France and employs 100 people. Being close to the raw materials helps the company shorten its supply chain, which is both cost and energy efficient. The environment is important to Lesbats Scieries d’Aquitaine, which is why the well-established firm started looking into further energy-efficiency measures.

Every year, the company purchased around 172 km of strapping bands for bundling timber together, which accounted for around 9 % of its total waste. Management decided to build an in-house recycling station, which has been in place for two years now. The recycling station was even built so that it could be managed by a person with a disability.

Key benefits

The internal waste recycling station and measures reduced the amount of strapping bands needed by 86 km per year. A small investment in recycling resulted in savings of € 1 250 per year and a payback period of six months.

 Lesbats Scieries d’Aquitaine now saves on operating costs, while significantly reducing the amount of annual waste it produces.