Rainier Wood Recyclers Links Up

Rainier Wood Recyclers, Kent, Wash., is the newest partner in King County’s (Wash.) LinkUp program.

LinkUp was created to develop partnerships to improve and expand markets for recycled materials. The program teams up with manufacturers, material processors and businesses that encourage salvage and reuse.

Rainier Wood Recyclers grinds and recycles nearly 200,000 tons of green wood debris per year, including urban wood debris, landclearing material and brush. The urban scrap wood, which includes construction and demolition debris, pallets and crates, comprises about 70,000 tons per year.

Much of Rainier’s work takes place onsite, where customer generate or collect this kind of material, such as paper or saw mills and construction sites where there is landclearing debris.

The company currently operates three wood recycling yards in Washington: Covington (east of Kent), Auburn and Fall City. The Covington facility has been in operation for more than 15 years. Fall City opened in 1998 and the Auburn yard opened more than a year ago.

Rainier makes approximately 12 different products for recycled wood. For example, it sells fine-cut wood to a company that markets it for playground base. Other products include mulch, landscape cover, animal bedding and boiler fuel.

The LinkUp team will assist Rainier Wood Recyclers in researching available markets for recycled urban wood. One of these markets may include the manufacture of colored landscape mulch, which has been garnering increased interest in recent months among homeowners and developers.

LinkUp works with three to five new businesses per year and is currently accepting applications. More information is available at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/linkup.