In the timber industry, tree bark has tended to be regarded as an inferior waste product. Although it contains various useful chemicals, it is used to a lesser extent for mulching in the garden and is sometimes burned to generate energy, but is not used in as many ways as wood. As a by-product of the wood industry, it is either processed into briquettes or burned as a waste product, causing unnecessaryCO2 emissions.
Bark currently makes up around 10% – 20% of the entire tree. This means that German sawmills produce around 4 million m³ of residual bark every year. If the bark is peeled, its potential can be exploited in architectural applications.
