I've got access to a large amount of wood waste from a workshop. Volumes of the stuff. The work is almost all with hardwoods (tropical some but mainly ash, oak, maple, beech etc) and the odd softwood. However, every once in a while a kerf is made on a piece of MDF or Plywood and as such, there is some contamination there. I would estimate 5% or less.
I can access the material for free and obtain a large volume as mentioned, but I'm unsure as to the dangers or concerns I should have in doing so. The glues and resins in these are not nice at all - but the volume is going to be tiny so is it any worse than say, using cardboard with glues in it? The soils here are clay and waterlogged so my intention with the material is to use it to create either masses of mulch before replanting sections of the garden, or to add to composting before use. In either instance though, the intent would be that eventually that piece of soil is going to be used to create food plants, not ornamentals.
I will be able to visually inspect the waste and the MDF / Ply dust is imperceptible - but I know it will be there. Any instance where I could see a clear volume of that material, I can ignore those bags of waste so can limit some of the exposure (at least with MDF dust that is green in colour). I've done some research and have found some advice suggesting that MDF shavings added to a compost at a volume of 10% of the overall or less, might even be of benefit for agriculture or horticultural use.
I am struggling to assess the risk of adding a material to the garden that will, in however small a dose, have glues and chemicals in that I would not knowingly add in isolation. Does anyone access a similar sort of waste to this and use it without concern? Should it be avoided at all costs?
Appreciate any views.
