Wood recycling
How to Recycle Engineered Wood Products
Structural engineered lumber: laminated veneer lumber (LVL), glue-laminated timber (glulam), I-joists, structural composite lumber, and cross-laminated timber. High reuse value when sound; limited clean-wood recycling because of adhesives.
Special handlingLarge sound glulam or specialty beams can have significant salvage value per linear foot; small damaged pieces usually have little more than avoided disposal costLast reviewed July 31, 2026
Quick answer
LVL, glulam, I-joists, SCL, and CLT are structural composites held together with industrial adhesives, so they do not belong in clean-wood mulch or compost. Reuse sound beams when an engineer signs off; otherwise use C&D processing, biomass if accepted, or landfill. Never burn them at home.
- Recycling route
- Special handling
- Typical value
- Large sound glulam or specialty beams can have significant salvage value per linear foot; small damaged pieces usually have little more than avoided disposal cost
How to Prepare
- 1Identify the product type (LVL, glulam, I-joist, SCL, CLT)
- 2Remove metal hangers, plates, and fasteners for scrap-metal recycling
- 3