April 7, 2023 — With the foundation of a successful first year, Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI) will continue education and outreach efforts in 2023 on proper handling and disposal of Treated Wood Waste (TWW) in California.
On behalf of the treated wood industry, WWPI has geared outreach efforts towards California residents, businesses, contractors, landfills, transfer stations and waste haulers who are involved in TWW disposal. Legislation on TWW disposal passed in 2021 required the wood preserving industry to work with state regulators to conduct educational outreach efforts on the handling and disposal requirements.
Last spring, WWPI launched the TWWDisposal.org website to provide key information on disposal, including links to landfills authorized accept TWW. Thousands have accessed the site to learn how to identify TWW and understand the requirements for handling, storage, labeling and transportation of TWW. To enhance understanding of the regulations, the website is available in both English and Spanish-language versions.
One positive sign of the outreach is that the City of Sacramento now offers TWW disposal through its Household Junk Pickup Program. While Sacramento is the only city in the state to offer this service, both state and industry representatives are optimistic that other municipalities will follow. Additionally, the re:source website serving Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City of Palo Alto now provide disposal locations that accept TWW as well as resources from TWWDisposal.org.
Officials at the state Dept. of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) agency last year offered positive comments on the treating industry’s outreach efforts. This year, WWPI is working to drive more visitors to the website by increasing the visibility on internet search engines.
A full report on outreach efforts is available at TWWDisposal.org in the Other Resources section on the website. The website also offers printable materials for landfills (https://twwdisposal.org/wp-content/uploads/Guidance-Landfills-2023.pdf), generators (https://twwdisposal.org/wp-content/uploads/Guidance-Generators-2023.pdf) and generators disposing more than 10,000 pounds of TWW in a calendar year (https://twwdisposal.org/wp-content/uploads/Guidance-LgGenerators-2023.pdf).
WWPI represents preserved wood product producers, chemical manufacturers, wood manufacturers and others serving the wood infrastructure and building industry throughout western North America. For nearly 75 years, WWPI has provides assistance to legislative, regulatory, building codes and preserved wood production aimed at sustaining healthy forests and ensuring critical infrastructure is safe.
