Can You Recycle Wood Cutting Boards?

Considering the fact that we have a problem with waste and pollution, recycling our wooden cutting boards is essential.

Recycling helps preserve energy, lowers the pollution of the water and air, conserves natural resources, and lowers greenhouse emissions.

Old kitchen items are often found in our trash bins, without us thinking twice about the impact each of them has on the planet. A common kitchen utensil that we get rid of after it’s no longer usable is a cutting board.

Getting rid of our wooden cutting boards sustainably matters more than you think. The good news is that they can be recycled, as well as repurposed or rejuvenated.

Whether you repurpose it as DIY decor or call your wood recycling local company to take it, there are excellent ways to do it in a sustainable manner.

Can You Recycle Wood Cutting Boards?

Wood can be recycled and this process is done by specialized wood recycling plants.

After collecting timber and wood scrap, the recycling plant workers sort, divide, and prep the waste for processing.

After this, the waste wood is put into a shredder and it’s broken down into several sizes. The size depends on the future use of recycled wood.

This product is later screened and sorted. Bigger pieces are used for furnishing while the smaller fibers are used for products like animal beds.

Wood recycling plays an important role in saving trees and lowering the negative effect of cutting down more trees. In return, this decreases the pollution of the air and the water.

These plants help decrease wood waste in landfills and repurpose the wooden materials into plenty of things we use like panel boards, biomass, composts, covering, landscape surface, mulches, and domestic furnishings.

With this in mind, if you have old wooden boards that you no longer plan to use or repurpose yourself, one of the most sustainable ways to handle them is to contact your local wood recycling plant.

Can You Use Wood Cutting Boards for Your Compost?

The non-toxic wood can be placed in a compost heap, but this isn’t all you should do with wood compost. Wood takes a lot of time to decompose.

It may need up to four years. For those who’re patient, the compost will be in good condition after the period of decomposition.

But, consider not placing your wood compost with other compost. The wood will slow down the process and outlive the other compost materials.

For example, stalks, husks, and corn cobs need between 90 and 120 days to break down entirely. When placing wood in your compost, chop it to the smallest-possible sizes.

The preferable size is less than 2 inches long. This is to ensure the fastest decomposition. Add manure to your wood compost if you want to speed up the decomposition.

When to Recycle Your Wooden Cutting Boards?

If you have wooden cutting boards you have been using for years and they’re still in good shape, make sure you clean them well and sanitize them regularly. Oiling and conditioning are also pivotal. 

There’s no set timeline for the replacement of wooden cutting boards; but, a rule of thumb is every five years or so. But this period may not apply to everyone, especially to those who use it a lot and those who use it from time to time.

If you use it less often, you may keep using it even after this five-year period. If you use it very often and it already has deep scratches that aren’t healing, you may need to replace it sooner.

Always recycle or repurpose wooden cutting boards that have a lot of crevices. This is the ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, which increases the risk of cross-contamination.

How to Repurpose Your Wooden Cutting Boards?

If you have a wooden cutting board and you no longer use it for food prep, there are a lot of useful and interesting ways to repurpose it.

Check out some of the best ones below:

  • A cute clipboard

Old cutting boards make awesome new clipboards.

Prep the wood and attach a clip with the help of a screw. There are a lot of tutorials on how to do this on YouTube.

  • A creative kitchen sign

Whether you want a modern or rustic kitchen sign, you can easily make one from old wooden cutting boards.

Paint it and write your favorite quote or text and hang it.

  • A chalkboard

When you need to write a note for your family before leaving for work, leaving one on a chalkboard in the kitchen is an easy and fun way to do it.

There are plenty of DIY tutorials on how to transform a cutting board into a chalkboard on the internet-choose the best one for you!

  • A personalized gift

Did you know that you can use a wood-burning tool to make lovely pictures on the cutting board you want to repurpose?

This makes an awesome decorative element for your home and a great personalized gift.

  • Handmade art

Your old wooden cutting boards make awesome canvasses.

You can paint whatever you like on one or both sides. Display your painting for vintage or classic vibes in your home.

Use professional-grade oil paints and apply a protective finish on top.

Final Thoughts

Considering the impact of waste on pollution, it’s pivotal to know what to do with our wooden cutting boards after we stop using them.

You can recycle wooden cutting boards by taking them to the nearest wood recycling plant or by adding them to your wood compost.

Repurposing is also another great option: old cutting boards, with a bit of creativity, can become the ideal personalized gift for a dear friend or a lovely decorative addition to your kitchen.

To ensure the maximum longevity of your wooden cutting boards, rinse them after every use, sanitize them monthly, and oil and condition them regularly. When you notice that the board has a lot of deep crevices, it’s time for recycling!

Leave a Comment