State regulators are banning the landfilling of wood waste, green waste, organic waste, or yard waste. Under the auspices of the Clean Air Act, state regulations are also regulating the burning of wood wastes. These forces put pressure on public and private sector organizations to find alternative management methods for urban wood waste. To better understand this municipal solid waste management challenge, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has collaborated with the International Society of Arboriculture Research Trust (ISA Research Trust) and the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOEINREL) in a three-phase project.

1. Undertaken and funded by the ISA Research Trust – assess the amount of urban wood waste generated nationally
2. Funded by DOEINREL – assess current urban wood waste management practices
3. Primarily an effort of ISA Research Trust, with support from SWANA – assess the needs of the generators and management systems both in the short and long term

This report presents the findings of a survey of current state regulations regarding wood wastes. The survey results are summarized in a table as well as state-by-state summaries. In addition, the report includes a number of case studies on specific approaches to managing wood waste in an urban setting.