As a Christian company, we believe that the Lord gave us dominion over creation, and that dominion includes good stewardship of the earth and its resources. From childhood, we’re taught the three “r’s” of conservation: reuse, reduce, recycle. We use reusable water bottles, we donate unwanted clothes to charity, and we keep our plastics out of the landfills. But these same principles are also applicable to the wood and forestry services as well.
When land is developed, trees are often clear cut and then mulched. From there they are taken to “stump dumps”, landfills for landscaping materials, where they rot. The Charlotte Observer quoted Damon Barron, owner of Carolina Urban Lumber, a custom furniture and urban lumber yard company, that an estimated 300,000 pounds of reusable lumber is dumped every day. ¹
Impact of Wood Recycling
Wood recycling is the process of turning wood waste, like the timber clear cut by developers, into usable products. Wood is repurposed to provide energy sources, furniture, lumber and building materials, wood engraving, and cooking wood, thus helping to reduce wood waste.
Here at Lee’s, we use as much wood as possible. We reuse locally- sourced wood that has been cleared already, sometimes from local residents removing trees from their properties, other times from developers who have already cut down trees for development. Rather than obtaining wood from woodlots which cut trees specifically for firewood, we are able to reduce the number of trees cut by reusing already cut lumber.
Every Part of The Tree
Once the lumber is delivered to us, we endeavor to use as close to 100% of it as possible. The majority of our wood is processed into firewood or cooking wood chunks. Some pieces are unable to be used for standard firewood, either because of size or knots in the wood. These pieces are bagged and become a part of our discount “bargain bag” selection. Scraps and twigs of wood are collected and bagged into kindling bags. Select of the logs are set aside and cut into rounds or slabs. These are turned into custom furniture pieces or used for wood engraving and wood art. Even the sawdust is used: composted into our yard or combined with wax to make our famous Fire Muffin Firestarters.
Once the wood is processed, it goes right back into the community. We source 8,000 customers in the greater Charlotte area- businesses, restaurants, and residents- who use the wood for fuel, heat, and cooking sources. It’s also used by firewood banks to support non-profits and low income households who use wood as a heat source in the wintertime.
Reforestation
Starting January 1, 2025, Lee’s Firewood will also be enrolled in One Tree Planted, a
global reforestation non-profit. As a partner of this initiative, for every sale at Lee’s Firewood one tree will be planted in the Southeast United States. These trees are planted all over the Southeast, but especially in areas affected by natural disasters. By replanting in these areas, reforestation has monumental impacts, including “restoring watersheds, enhancing wildlife habitat,..., and sequestering carbon".²
In a world that has increasingly prioritized "throwaway culture" and overconsumption, sustainablity is more important than ever. The importance of nourishing, appreciating, and cherishing the gift we have been given in our home on Earth cannot be overstated, nor can the need to care for that gift. Here at Lee's Firewood, we strive to make prudent decision when it comes to caring for the Earth and its resources. We are committed to finding creative and innovative solutions to improve sustainability and the impact we have on the world around us.
Henderson, Bruce. “What’s In a Fallen Tree: A Handmade Table and a Vision for Charlotte’s Green Canopy.” Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2018, https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article220483045.html. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.
One Tree Planted. “Plant Trees for Impact.” One Tree Planted, onetreeplanted.org/products/southeast-us. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.
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