5 Ways to Use Your Firewood Scraps

Nothing is better than looking at a tall pile of firewood after a long day of splitting; it is a profit waiting to be made.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the pile of wood scraps beneath your log splitter. Most of the time these fine materials are just another step in your cleanup for the day - but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are 5 ideas for how to use your firewood scraps, and maybe make some money in the process.

 

Clean Spills

It’s always good to have something on hand that you can use to clean up oil spills around the shop. Often times cat litter is used to clean up these spills, but why not use something you already have? 

A collection of very fine wood scraps will clean up oil and paint spills just as well as cat litter since wood fibers easily absorb oil. 

Bonus Tip: Mix some baking soda into your fines when cleaning to deodorize the spill (Deziel, 2023).

 

Sell It as Kindling or as Fire Starters

One of the more obvious options, you can sell your wood scraps as kindling or as fire starters. Package them and make them look presentable, then offer it at a low price to move your product quickly.

You may even consider giving away kindling with each order of firewood. Remember, happy customers are good for business. 

 

Add It to Your Compost Pile 

If you are unfamiliar with composting, it is simply the process of recycling organic matter into a fertilizer for soil and plants (Composting 101, 2020).

The best part is that you can create your own compost pile today. All you need is a bin/basket of any kind and some organic materials, like leaves, coffee grounds, wood scraps, and more. 

If you are a firewood seller, there is no more cost-effective way to maintain your soil and plants.

 

Use It for Animal Bedding

Do you have chickens or other little creatures that need bedding? Instead of a trip to the store, try using some leftover firewood scraps next time you need to replace your animals’ bedding.

Be careful of the following when collecting bedding material (Thoma, 2024):

• Avoid sharp pieces
• Avoid very fine sawdust
• Don’t use scraps from pressure-treated lumber
• Avoid Cedar scraps
• Make sure scraps from Pine are heat-treated 

Make sure to consult with your veterinarian before creating your own bedding.

 

Use It for Packaging

If your firewood company ever sends out packages, or if you just want to put your own touch on a gift or package, this one is perfect for you.

Fun Fact: Before bubble wrap and Styrofoam, wood shavings were standard for packaging material.

This easy and free trick will, one, save you money, and, two, help you brand yourself and your business.

You will want to wrap delicate objects prior to packaging them with wood scraps.

 

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