The document summarizes the life cycle of plywood production from forest management through manufacturing and construction use. Raw material acquisition begins with harvesting trees from forests. Logs are transported to mills for processing into veneers which are dried, coated, and pressed into plywood panels. Construction generates waste materials that can be recycled such as plywood, roof tiles, and steel. Proper material handling and storage helps reduce waste, while innovative recycling turns waste into resources.

1. Life Cycle Assessment of Plywood
Appreciating Environment Nothing is Considered Waste
Site A
Forest Management(Regeneration)
Site B
Balai Bomba & Penyelamat Malaysia, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur
Wilayah Persekutuan
2-Storrey Terrace House, Pandamaran, Klang
Raw Material Acquisition:
Harvesting system begins in the forest with the forestry activities. The tree is cut down
or felled by chainsaw, harvester, or feller buncher as agreed to management
regime (felling. The tree is turned into logs by removing the limbs (delimbing) and
cutting it into logs of optimal length (bucking); The logs are then moved from the
stump to the landing by ground vehicles, cable systems or flown to the landing by
helicopter.
This is followed by the resource and material transportation to the mill.
Materials
Energy
Water`
Waste Materials in Site A
Aluminum
6%
Pvc
pipes
10%
Electrical Floor tiles
3%
Steel piping
6% 2%
Packaging
(plastic)
1%
Roof tiles
35%
Bricks
16%
Concrete
6%
Plywood
31%
Steel
27%
Pvc pipes
22%
Plywood
21%
Aluminum
3%
Effluents
Product Manufacturing:
Steps of product manufacturing:
1. Log processing: Log is stripped off its bark.
2. Log conditioning: Logs are conditioned using steam or hot water to improve peel
quality.
3. Lathing: A sharp blade peels the log, now called a block, into a continuous sheet of
veneer and sorted by moisture content in preparation for drying
4. Veneer drying: This center includes redrying, where 10-20% of the veneer
processed is still too wet, hence it is redried.
5. Veneer Coating: Veneers are coated with phenol-formaldehyde resin and
composed into panels for hot pressing.
6. Curing: Heat and pressure are used to cure the resin, thereby bonding the veneers
together to make plywood.
7. Finally the plywood panels are trimmed, squared and selected for grade.
Waste Materials in Site B
Electrical
piping
6%
Solid Waste
Others
Bricks
5%
Emission
Products
Co products
Building Construction
Use/Maintenance
WHY CONSTRUCTION WASTE IS PRODUCED IN CONSTRUCTION SITE?
Construction waste materials is produced due from impacts of demolition, renovation, refurbishment, construction and site clearance.
Design and the specifications contributes to the amount of waste generated when design solutions are selected or when unsuitable materials are specified. Besides
that, impact from design decisions causes materials to be wasted. For example, cuttings of bricks and blocks, cutting of floor and wall tiles, and cutting of paving slabs.
Construction activities during the construction process contributes to this matter whereby the amount of materials ordered from the suppliers are more than
needed, materials are not handled properly, no proper storage for the materials, workers’ skills are not that sufficient in working with the materials and used as a
temporary work materials.
Recycle/Waste management
MATERIALS
HOW TO MANAGE IT PROPERLY?
INNOVATIVE WAYS TO RECYCLE ANSD ITS ISSUE
PLYWOOD
Surplus in ordering and cutting
causes the excess plywood to be
moved to landfills even though these
plywood are still usable.
1. Manage logs used to prevent rot by using
end coating to prevent checking and adding
chemicals to prevent stain and decay.
2. Proper training of manual labors in handling
the plywoods to avoid damage and
minimizing reject panels.
1. Mix plywood sawdust with various animal manures for weed
control and composting.
2. Horse, cattle, poultry, pet bedding and can be used as cat
litter.
Issues:
1. Chemical treatment may be harmful to the plants
2. Needs to be free from contaminants when used for bedding
and cat litter.
ROOF TILES
Crushing then cleaning to remove dirt
and foreign particles. Finally, more
care is given into the quality to
produce a better product.
1. Proper handling during transportation and
installation.
2. Proper storage when on site. Prevention
from extreme weather is also needed.
1. Create a garden path. (Resembling garden stones)
2. Soil Stabilization
Issues:
1. Chemicals that may affect the environment due to the
disintegration of the tiles.
STEEL
HOW WASTE IS BEING GENERATED?
1. Fallen Materials – With the wind from the rain and improper storage system, materials would just topple down from being stacked by the workers
2. Improper Storage System – Workers just covering the materials using a plastic sheet and a brick to stabilize the plastic, to protect or none at all
3. Carelessness of Worker - Materials do not belong to them; they felt no sense of responsibility by damage through handling errors or storage.
4. Surplus of materials - It's better to feel safe than sorry, an addition transportation fee could be a burden making the contractor and owner to over order
the materials.
5. Climate – The monsoon season making it hard to predict when it will rain or not, thus workers find it hard to protect the material at all times.
CURRENTLY RECYCLE
It travels from the consumer to the
waste stream, recycling facility, steel
making process to the new steel
product and finally back to the
consumer.
1. Provide bins to collect steel for collectors.
2. Consider sharing a metal recycling bin with
neighboring business if volume is not
enough for recycling.
Avoid:
1. Surplus (Proper planning by contractors and
all responsible for construction).
2. Record waste movement.
Most steel are recycled to create a new product. However, large
amount are needed when collecting for recycling.
Issues:
1. Collection rates need to be increased.
2. Depending on local recycling capacities.
INDIVIDUAL – MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
MATERIALS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
WAYS TO REDUCE AND REUSE
ROOF TILES
Amelia Michelle Bernard | Elaine Bong | Lau Ee Tian | Sonia Manyie
RIMBA TUBES
SONIA MANYIE
• Return extra steel.
ALUMINIUM
• Reacts with phosphates which causes less phosphates in water
for the water organisms.
• Throw unwanted aluminum away in waste bin provided at the site.
• Contain harmful fumes.
• Contain toxic chemicals.
• Can be use as a garbage bag.
PVC PIPES
THUMB PIANO/ KALIMBA
LAU EE TIAN
• Production of poisonous gases.
• Contamination of soil and water.
PLASTIC
XYLOPHONE
AMELIA MICHELLE BERNARD
• Reduce the amount of cement consumption by using post-industrial
material such as fly ash to prevent harmful pollutants from reaching the
ecosystem.
STEEL
TAMBORINE
ELAINE BONG
• It is glazed with harmful toxic chemicals which can
contaminate the environment.
• Produces dioxins.
• Can be use as a decoration.
• Can be use as a temporary container.