Forest Policy Econ. http://doi.org/w3f (2014)

To support its national industry, the Japanese government has tried to increase the demand for domestic timber by encouraging the use of woody biomass — sawmill and logging residues that can be used as raw materials to manufacture various woody products.

In Japan, mill residues are perceived as easier to use than logging residues, but whether or not they are better for the economy and the environment is not clear. Dami Moon of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan, and colleagues analysed the greenhouse-gas emissions and economic effects of using logging versus mill residues to manufacture chips, bark, and chip dust, in Maniwa, Japan. They developed three scenarios: business-as-usual, logging-residues-only utilization (LRU) and mill-residues-only utilization (MRU). They found that in the LRU scenario, the total gross income would be almost ¥204 million and 13 new full-time jobs would be created, whereas in the MRU scenario, the figures would be ¥124 million and 6 jobs.

In terms of emissions, in the LRU scenario they can be reduced by up to roughly 211 tonnes of CO2 equivalent more than in the MRU.