Second Life for Toronto’s Damaged Tree Canopy

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Derick-and-the-grinderWalker Environmental ’s (WE) mobile grinder division began a contract with the City of Toronto in October of 2013 to process urban forestry wood at five depots across the City. In late December, a devastating ice storm damaged a significant portion of Toronto’s tree canopy. In a state of emergency, the City approached WE for a grinding and disposal solution for an estimated 30,000 tonnes of brush being collected at fourteen different sites. WE deployed three horizontal grinders to the City to begin the formidable task of turning the mountains of brush and trees into mulch.

The next step was to find a home for thousands of tonnes of wood mulch that WE was producing. Being innovators in beneficial re-use of organics, WE was able to find multiple uses for the mulch including: natural mulch, colored mulch, compost bulking agent and biofilter. These products will all eventually break down and return their value to the earth, giving a second life to Toronto’s prized urban forests.