Despite using concrete with some of their products and covering the majority of it up, Sidler are aware of their impact on the environment and do their best to maintain a low carbon footprint; this is achieved by using 100% of every tree: Bark is combined with off-cuts and burnt on site in a wood chip boiler (Figure 73) producing heat and energy for the whole site and for sixteen surrounding houses. Excess timber from this process is also used in pulp production. In addition, any lengths of timber that are not thick enough for Brettstapel are taken away daily to be used for paper production (Figure 74). In this way, the company ensure they get a maximum return on the timber they buy and at the
Figure 73: Collection of bark chips for use in wood chip boiler (Author’s photograph)
same time are able to power themselves with clean, renewable energy thus reducing the embodied energy of their product.
Figure 74: Storage of timber off-cuts to be used for paper production (Author’s photograph)
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