Composting of Paulownia Wooden Surfboard Waste
Why do we have Paulownia sawdust?
The main byproduct of building our wooden surfboards is Paulownia sawdust, from fine dust to larger particles. It comes off the sharp cutting tools in our CNC machines and the abrasives in our sanding equipment. Dust extractors pull it into steel drums, which makes it easy to empty and move. Extraction also keeps the workshop clean and airborne dust to a minimum.
You can read more about why we use Paulownia for our surfboards in our post on Paulownia and surfboards.
Why is composting important?
Composting, especially at scale, plays a real part in environmental sustainability. It keeps waste out of landfill, cuts methane and other greenhouse gas emissions, improves soil health, and reduces the need for chemical fertilisers, among other benefits.
Why is Paulownia sawdust great for compost?
1. A good carbon source
Paulownia is a low-density timber, so its sawdust and shavings are light and dry. Sawdust is high in carbon, which makes it a 'brown' material in composting terms. That carbon can balance a large amount of nitrogen-rich 'green' material such as leaves, grass clippings, and food waste.
2. It regulates moisture
Sawdust absorbs well, which helps keep moisture levels steady in the compost pile. Ideal moisture content is around 40 to 60%. The dust is dry when it is mixed with green material, but it quickly soaks up rain and the excess liquid released as the other materials break down.
3. It aerates the pile
Sawdust lets air move through the pile. Better airflow speeds up the breakdown of organic material, which matters most in a production setting.
How do we compost our Paulownia sawdust?
We experiment with composting on a small scale. We do not yet have enough green waste or space to run our own large, end-to-end composting setup, although it is something we will look at as production grows.
We work with a local soil and compost manufacturer that has plenty of nitrogen-rich green waste and needs carbon-rich material to go with it. Our clean sawdust fits into their existing production, so it works well for both of us. We cut our disposal costs, our waste is put to use, and less green waste breaks down into methane.