Small timber businesses leading the charge on wood-waste sustainability

CEMAC
Oct 30
2 min read

As the furniture, joinery and small-scale timber sectors reckon with rising costs, tighter waste rules and customer demand for low impact products, many smaller timber businesses are discovering that sustainability and profitability go hand in hand.

CEMAC technologies has seen a strong surge in enquiries and equipment sales from smaller joineries and boutique timber workshops throughout 2025. Many of these businesses are investing in compact shredders and briquette presses to reduce waste handling, improve workspace efficiency, and meet growing customer expectations around sustainability. It’s clear that sustainability is no longer limited to large-scale manufacturers — small, skilled timber businesses are leading the way in making smart, practical changes that deliver both environmental and commercial benefits.

From offcuts to opportunity

A typical small joinery will produce a predictable stream of offcuts, edgings and sawdust. Left unmanaged, that material either clogs up floor space or gets sent to landfill, becoming an expensive and avoidable outcome. Modern industrial shredders turn bulky offcuts and reject panels into compact chips and fibres that are easier to store, move and repurpose. When paired with a briquette press, those chips become dense briquettes suitable for heating, resale to biomass users, or as a clean, compact fuel source. This reduces disposal costs and, in some cases, creates a modest new income line for the business. Learn about WEIMA machines.

Why WEIMA fits the small workshop

WEIMA’s range includes compact units designed for trade and light-industrial applications. These compact shredders are engineered to process wood waste reliably, producing consistent chips that can be fed straight into a briquetting system or storage crate. For smaller operators, the appeal is simple: reduce waste volume, tidy the workplace, cut waste transport bills and convert a problem into a usable product.

Practical benefits that matter to small businesses

• Space savings: shredded wood and briquettes take up far less room than loose offcuts and bags of sawdust, freeing valuable shop or warehouse space

• Lower disposal costs: less volume to cart away, fewer landfill fees, and fewer pickups

• Energy/opportunity value: briquettes can be used on-site for heating or sold to local users (stoves, biomass boilers)

• Cleaner, safer workplace: reduced trip hazards, less dust and easier housekeeping improve worker safety

These outcomes are attractive to small operators because they deliver immediate, measurable returns rather than abstract long-term goals.

Why joining industry groups amplifies impact

By joining the Australian Furniture Association (AFA), CEMAC technologies shows commitment to supporting the furniture and timber industries on their path toward circular, low-waste operations. The AFA provides a valuable platform to connect with manufacturers, designers and suppliers who are actively seeking practical ways to improve material efficiency and sustainability outcomes. By collaborating through the AFA, CEMAC can share real-world recycling technologies including WEIMA shredders and briquette presses and help turn sustainability goals into tangible operational results. This partnership allows us to better align our solutions with the evolving needs of Australian furniture and joinery businesses, ensuring that sustainability is not just a policy, but a performance advantage across the entire supply chain.