Enhancement of Micro-Sized Furniture by using Wooden Wastes

The number of small-scale businesses within most national economies is generally high, especially developing countries. Waste wood can be a potentially valuable resource for the manufacture of various materials and products. The type and volume of wastes generated during the manufacture of forest products have changed over time depending on various factors. Often these businesses have a weak economic status and limited environmental awareness. This study investigated the types of waste generated and the recycling methods adopted in micro-sized enterprises engaged in the manufacture of furniture. An assessment was also made of whether the characteristics of the enterprise had any effect on the waste recycling methods that were practised. It was found that medium-density fibreboard, and to a lesser extent, chipboard, were used in the manufacture of furniture, and two major types of waste in the form of fine dust and small fragments of board are generated during the cutting of these boards. Enterprises were found to have adopted other methods to utilise their wastes in addition to using them as fuel. Such enterprises include those operating from a basement or first floor of a building in the cities, those continuing production throughout the year, those in need for capital and those enterprises not operating a dust-collection system. a building in the cities, those continuing production throughout the year, those in need for capital and those enterprises not operating a dust-collection system. The percentage of the workforce that has received vocational training in furniture manufacturing is low, which is an obstacle to the utilisation of waste materials in a variety of ways.