International Marketing Practices

Urban Wood Supplies The U.S. Forest Service calculated that approximately 34.2 million tons of urban wood waste entered the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in 2010. Of that total, 18.4 million tons consisted of woody yard trimmings like trees and limbs, of which 4.0 million tons was available for recovery (Table 20) [214]. When not sent to a landfill, urban wood waste remains largely underutilized, often used for landscaping mulch, firewood, or composting. However, an industry has emerged to utilize urban wood for value-added production, recognizing its potential to bolster local economies, decrease stress on landfills, alleviate demand from forests, provide resource management opportunities, and others.

Table 20. U.S. Forest Service 2010 municipal solid waste (MSW) analysis, million tons [214].

Not usable

Available for recovery

Source

Generated

Recovered

Combusted

Wood component 1 Woody yard trimmings 2

15.8 18.4 34.2

1.4

3.5 1.9 5.5

3.5 2.0 5.5

7.3 4.0

10.6 12.1

Total MSW wood 11.1 1 Data generated by the EPA included durable goods and containers (e.g., furniture & pallets). 2 Data generated by the Forest Service consisted of 55% wood and 45% herbaceous material.

Urban Wood Utilization The urban wood industry is highly variable in both size and capacity; most firms are small to medium sized. A recent survey of both the urban and reclaimed wood industries found that more than 65% firms have less than 10 employees [215]. As the industry has grown, producers have had to seek a reliable supply stream as well as educate consumers and stakeholders on the value of urban wood products, including benefits to the environment, and communities. To increase awareness and drive raw material utilization, the industry has come together to focus on collaboration, emphasizing education and increased efficiency through efforts like the Urban Wood Network [216]. This national network includes a variety of companies, cities, and state-specific networks, such as the Virginia Urban Wood Group [217], Wisconsin Urban Wood [218], and Urban, Salvaged, and Reclaimed Woods Inc. [219]. These networks help to promote efficient urban wood production, providing their members with educational materials and tools to effectively build relationships and market their products. Prevalent urban wood products include furniture, slabs, mantels, lumber, and others, primarily sold at a premium owing to their unique product attributes (Figure 16). Such products are opening up new market opportunities for local, value-added products. Some urban wood firms may have a desire to expand globally but lack the resources necessary to formulate effective strategies. For this reason, this chapter provides an international marketing plan framework and hypothetical case study.

82