15 ways to become an earth-friendly woodworker

It's getting harder to ignore the evidence that we're creating a strain on the planet. As workshoppers, we have more than the usual amount of influence in this regard, either for good or for bad. Here are 15 ways you can tip the balance of your workshop practices toward something greener.

1. Use more hand tools: Besides saving electricity, hand tools provide physical exercise–something that most of us could use more of. Consider investing in a good handsaw for those times when you really don't need to fire up the dust and noise of a chop saw. Even hand-planing lumber is surprisingly practical. I've done it for years.

2. Use air-dried lumber: Energy use is a big part of our environmental impact. A large (but hidden) part of the environmental cost of lumber is in the energy used to kiln-dry it. Air-dried lumber has none of these energy inputs and it's easier to work with too!

3. Buy sustainably harvested wood: Organizations working around the globe are in the business of inspecting logging operations and verifying which ones meet specific, environmentally preferable standards. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is one such organization. If you can't find FSC wood for sale where you live, consider buying locally cut, sustainably harvested wood. Visit the woodlot and make your own assessment. You don't need to be an expert to tell the difference between a sound logging endeavour and an irresponsible cut-and-run operation.

4. Mill your own lumber: Whether you live in rural or urban Canada, you'll find opportunities to turn logs into boards on a small and sustainable scale with a portable mill. Cities often generate quite a few logs from trees that are cut to make way for new construction. Even logs as short as 36" can be turned into excellent lumber, without the need for heavy equipment to handle the logs.

5. Harvest wood from the urban forest: If you live in the city, you have easy access to wood that comes at almost no environmental cost.

Shipping crates, buildings being demolished and discarded furniture all offer excellent wood that's otherwise destined for landfill.

6. Aim for a zero-VOC workshop: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are given off when solvents dry. But today there are water-based finishing options and gluing choices that give off a very low amount of VOCs or none at all. One traditional choice is finishing oils. Organic boiled linseed oil, hemp oil and tung oil are three options I know work well.

7. Pay more for high-quality power tools and keep them going: With nothing more than a change of brushes and a new cord now and then, the best power tools keep running well for years–probably your whole life. You'll also enjoy better performance.

8. Move toward lithium-ion cordless: Worn-out cordless nickel-cadmium batteries can be recycled safely, but the process is not without risk. Cadmium is the reason why. It poses a persistent environmental threat if it gets into the ecosystem. There's no known antidote for dealing with cadmium poisoning. Cordless tools powered by lithium-ion batteries don't pose the same environmental threat and they work better too.

9. Until recently, buying replacement batteries from tool manufacturers has been almost as expensive as the cost of the entire tool. Now, a Canadian outfit–BatteryBuyer.com–manufactures brand new, cordless tool batteries at lower prices than original equipment batteries. When it comes time to get rid of batteries, always dispose of them in an appropriate waste stream. Visit www.rbrc.com to find a safe drop-off location close to you.

10. Make better use of low-grade lumber: It's not so much that we're running out of trees; large trees are getting scarce. You can significantly improve the grade of lumber that you use in your projects by carefully rough-cutting early on. By cutting out knots and wonky grain selectively as you cross cut components, you'll enjoy substantially better projects without using lumber from rare, old-growth forests.

11. Buy online: Having goods shipped in usually involves a delivery charge, but if you do the math you'll find it's typically a very good deal. Add up the cost of gas, wear and tear on your vehicle and time, and you'll see what I mean.

12. Keep a workshop shopping list and inventory faithfully: Twenty-five years ago, I began keeping a notepad with me at all times. Ten years ago, a Palm Pilot in a hard, sawdust-proof case replaced that. I can't even begin to count the time saved, gas not burnt and ideas captured because of this strategy. Whenever you realize you need something (or get a fantastic notion), jot it down. Also, keep an inventory of screws, glue, hardware, dowels and other workshop supplies on hand. This small discipline makes each workshop shopping trip count and saves you from time- and energy-wasting trips such as a run to the store for $3 worth of #6 x 1 1/4"-long wood screws that you should have had on hand.

13. Build things to last: The world is full of manufactured junk. The last thing we need is for more of it to be produced in home workshops. When you sit down to build a project, make a decision to create something that will last physically and be appreciated for its beauty. A properly crafted table, dresser, bed or end table can easily last a century, displacing the need to manufacture three or four or five cheap, cookie-cutter alternatives, preventing the trees cut, energy consumed and trash heaps enlarged because of them.

14. Return wood waste to the soil: Most types of sawdust and shavings make excellent garden mulch. (However, do not use shavings from pressure-treated wood, walnut or tropical woods.) Wherever I spread my wood waste regularly, there are massive earthworms pulling it down happily to enrich the soil.

15. Embrace lots of little things: Getting greener is about enacting a handful of seemingly small changes in the same direction. There's no big fix, so stay positive–because all your efforts add up.