Contact
Nicolas Nguyen The
AFOCEL
Station territoriale Sud
Domaine de Saint Clément
34980 Saint Clément de Rivière
tél : 04 67 66 74 74
fax : 04 67 66 74 60
sud@afocel.fr

Project objectives
Human activities in forests and more particularly logging operations are traditionally not well considered by the public as people tend to suspect environmental impacts or destruction. As far as wastes are concerned, it is clear that little has been implemented so, far despite legal obligations. The explanation lies in the structure of the logging sector as it is made of many contractors, which are usually small enterprises often without any employees. They have limited access to information and little time available for questions of quality management. These contractors individually produce small quantities of wastes and dispose of them themselves, often illegally, and probably with harmful consequences for the environment.

The objective of the project is to organise and implement true waste management in the logging sector and to focus more particularly on this scattered network of small contractors.
Forestry requires many interventions at the site of operations, whether for maintenance or small repairs. This results in the production of large quantities of wastes that are dispersed in small concentrations over wide areas of operation, with no organized collection of these materials.
A mobile workshop following a felling machine
Maintenance of a felling head
Regular sharpening of saw chains is required
Changing a harvester's saw chain
Repairing a skidder at a welding station
Former machine used for the extraction of firewood

Means


The project is based on partners with influence on these small companies. The partners are either large logging companies that may contract work to them or interprofessional structures aimed at organising them and carrying out collective projects.

The project will be carried out in two contrasting pilot regions:
- southern France: little interprofessional organisation of small logging contractors but presence of large logging companies and pulp factories that play an active role in the forest sector as a whole,
- north-eastern France: no large logging companies but a strong interprofessional organisation of small enterprises.

The project consists of several complementary tasks:
- training and information sessions for logging operators and forestry players. General extension documents and a guide to good practice will be produced for this purpose,
- existing collection points (pilot sites) implemented by the partners will be used for demonstration. The purpose is to open these points to contractors and to set up cost-sharing agreements with them. The handling of certain types of logging wastes that are not managed today (guide bars, chains) will also be addressed,
- extension of the experience acquired at pilot collection points. Creation of collection points in areas where are currently no facilities.
Expected results


- Exhaustive knowledge of the wastes generated by logging activities (types and quantities).
- A review of all waste processing facilities (existing and potential) in the two pilot areas.
- Extension documents for foresters
- Training and information sessions designed for logging contractors and operators.
- New collection points in pilot regions.
- Cost-sharing agreements between several contractors