Alternative Wood Diversion Methods in Winnebago County Illinois

Landfill capacity is an increasingly important issue in the realm of sustainability. Landfill waste can take decades to decompose, taking up hundreds of acres of land in the United States. Wood takes up a small portion of landfill capacity, but wood holds millions of tons of carbon that can be detrimental to the atmosphere. An urban wood project is an initiative to divert waste from landfills in the form of wood in cities. This includes both wood used in infrastructure and wood from trees. Several cities from across the United States with urban wood projects were used for research. The City of Pittsburgh, The City of New York, and The City of Baltimore were the focus of the research because their projects were successful and continued past the conclusion of the project. The research was focused on the infrastructure needed to house an urban wood project, employment opportunities that arise from an urban wood project, and the process of turning wood into furniture and art. Their findings were used to create a detailed outline for a potential urban wood project in Winnebago County, located in Northern Illinois. In addition to creating a project outline for Winnebago County, this research project was also aimed to further knowledge of this topic in the sustainability field because there is a gap of knowledge in knowing how beneficial an urban wood project can be.