What Wood We Collect

The Wood We Collect: Grades A, B, C, and D

From clean cut-offs to creosoted sleepers – we handle the lot.

At A.W. Jenkinson Woodwaste, we collect and process all four grades of waste wood – A, B, C, and D – offering a full-spectrum service that supports the circular economy and keeps valuable resources in use. Whether it’s fresh off the factory floor or decades-old from a railway line, we manage each type with care, professionalism, and a commitment to sustainability.

Wood recycling types we accept

Grade A – Clean, Untreated Wood

Sources Include:

  • Offcuts from timber mills and furniture makers
  • Packaging waste from logistics, warehouses and retail
  • Pallets, crates, packing cases and cable drums
  • Joinery workshops and pallet reclaimers
  • Retail and distribution centres handling virgin timber

Typical Materials:

  • Untreated softwood and hardwood
  • Clean wooden packaging, free from coatings
  • Offcuts, end-of-line stock, and factory leftovers

Typical Non-Wood Contaminants:

  • Minor fixings like nails or screws are acceptable
  • Small amounts of non-hazardous surface coatings, such as water-soluble paint

Common Uses:

Grade A wood is perfect for animal bedding, panel board production, and clean biomass fuel. Its untreated, chemical-free nature makes it ideal for high-quality recycled wood products.

Grade B – Treated, Non-Hazardous Wood

Sources include:

  • All materials included in Grade A
  • Construction and demolition wood
  • Skip operators and transfer station waste
  • Shopfitting and commercial refit timber
  • House clearances and solid wood furniture

Typical Materials:

  • Solid wood with surface paint, varnish, or stain
  • Wooden doors, window frames (glass removed), and skirting boards
  • Treated structural timber from buildings
  • Broken furniture including wardrobes, desks, shelving, and tables
  • Wooden garden furniture (untreated or lightly finished)

Typical Non-Wood Contaminants:

  • Nails and metal fixings
  • Some paints, plastics, glass, grit, coatings, binders and glues

Common Uses:

Grade B wood is perfect for biomass fuel and panel board production, provided it’s mainly solid wood and contains no more than 10% of former panel products such as MDF, chipboard, or plywood.

Grade C – Mixed Waste Wood (Municipal and Industrial)

Sources include:

  • Everything in Grade A and B, plus municipal collections and household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) 

Typical Materials:

  • All softwood and hardwood waste
  • Pallets, timber offcuts, crates, and solid wooden doors
  • Painted wood, window frames, and DIY timber
  • Panel products with high wood content, including chipboard, MDF, and plywood

Typical Non-Wood Contaminants:

  • Nails, metal fixings, and plastic components
  • Paper, coatings, rubber, and certain adhesives

Common Uses:

Grade C wood is primarily processed for biomass energy recovery, helping to reduce landfill waste and contribute to renewable energy solutions. 

Grade D – Hazardous Waste Wood

Specialist wood, specialist handling – and yes, we accept it.

Sources include:

  • Railway sleepers, telegraph poles, and dock timbers
  • Agricultural fencing and treated external landscaping wood
  • Hydraulic engineering structures – piers, jetties, and cooling towers
  • Waste wood from boats, trailers, caravans, and mobile structures
  • Demolition of buildings pre-dating 2007 – roof timbers, bargeboards, soffits, and exterior cladding

What’s in:

  • Wood treated with creosote, copper chrome arsenic (CCA), or other hazardous preservatives
  • Painted or coated wood with lead-based or unknown formulations
  • Deeply penetrated or pressure-treated timber
  • External joinery where hazardous treatments are likely
  • Long-life utility and transport infrastructure wood

Special Handling:

Grade D waste must be processed through authorised hazardous waste routes. At AWJ Woodwaste, we can ensure full compliance with environmental legislation by working with fully licensed facilities and approved treatment partners.

From clean and simple to complex and treated, we handle wood waste across the full spectrum.

At A.W. Jenkinson Woodwaste, we don't just collect wood – we give it purpose. Whether it’s reused in production, recycled into panels, or recovered for energy, we ensure that every grade is processed responsibly, sustainably, and in line with UK regulations.

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