Bristol Wood Recycling Project(BWRP)

What Bristol Wood Recycling Project(BWRP) does

Bristol Wood Recycling Project (BWRP) is a not-for-profit cooperative and Company Limited by Guarantee (Company No. 5081319), founded in 2004 and restructured into a Cooperative in 2011, operating from a single integrated site at Unit 4, William Street, St Philips, Bristol. The organisation collects, reuses and transforms waste timber, running a public timber yard and shop (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm), a carpentry workshop that produces bespoke furniture and shelving, and a collection/delivery service using 3.5-tonne caged vans for construction sites, commercial premises and households across Bristol and beyond (£23/cubic yard, minimum £138; £35/hour delivery). Reclaimed timber (scaffolding boards from £25, reclaimed Victorian pine floorboards from £8.50/linear metre, plus sustainably sourced hardwoods) is sold alongside off-the-peg products (metal brackets from £12, hairpin legs from £32), bespoke commissions (shelving from £30/metre), workshop machining (£60-£90/hour) and cutting services (from £5). The Shedzone sub-brand, formalised in 2025, builds modular storage units and garden products (£178-£400) from marginal timber using a 'lego brick' component system capable of 150+ configurations.

BWRP serves multiple customer segments: construction sites and commercial timber waste producers booking collection services as their primary channel; walk-in DIY enthusiasts and Bristol residents buying reclaimed timber; households purchasing Shedzone recycling and bike stores; tradespeople, makers and bespoke furniture buyers commissioning workshop pieces; timber donors; and adult volunteers (17+) supported through a structured programme that includes travel expenses up to £6.80 and hot lunch. The organisation reports having rescued more than 7,000 tons of wood from waste since 2004 and explicitly serves a gender & inclusion mission welcoming women, gender minorities, LGBTQ+, neuro-diverse people, people of colour and people with disabilities.

Commercially, BWRP operates a multi-stream, low-ticket revenue model combining unit-priced retail, usage-based collections and delivery, hourly professional services, and bespoke commissions — all under a self-financing cooperative structure that reinvests surpluses into staff, volunteers and community. Marketing is community-rooted and low-cost: a Wix-hosted website with detailed product/pricing pages, Facebook and Instagram under @bristolwrp, a YouTube channel with explainer videos, and an opt-in email newsletter. The company is a member of the national Community Wood Recycling Project network but is not a subsidiary of it, and remains privately held with no external equity investors beyond a 2019 funding round of approximately $568K.

Name

Bristol Wood Recycling Project(BWRP)

Legal name

Bristol Wood Recycling Project

Website

https://bwrp.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bristol Wood Recycling Project is a not-for-profit cooperative that collects, reuses and retails reclaimed timber from a single Bristol yard and workshop. It serves local DIYers, construction sites, commercial waste producers, households buying Shedzone storage, tradespeople commissioning bespoke work, and adult volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reclaimed Timber & Wood Recycling Services

NAICS

Wood Product Manufacturing (321), Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)

SIC

Lumber & Wood Products (No Furniture) (2400)

akta.pro primary industry

Deconstruction & Salvage (Building Material Reuse) (EUAIAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Deconstruction & Salvage (Building Materials Reuse) (BPALAJAI)

Keywords

• Reclaimed timber sales
• Wood waste collection
• Bespoke carpentry services
• Community wood recycling
• Modular outdoor storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Reclaimed timber retail sales: Direct retail of reclaimed timber products from on-site yard: scaffolding boards (£25 full board / £6.50 per linear metre shorter), reclaimed Victorian pine floorboards (£8.50/linear metre, bought-in from £16), dimension timbers (e.g. 4"x2" priced by linear metre), and sustainably sourced hardwoods (Oak, Ash, Sweet Chestnut, Beech, Poplar, Lime, Sycamore, Yew, London Plane). One-time transactional purchase.
2. Shedzone modular product sales: Modular outdoor storage units and garden products (Standard £264, Wide Standard £290, Triple £400 with free delivery and assembly, Side Entry £300, Half High £204, Tower £178, Low Profile £190, Bike Store from £300, Potting Tables from £100, Planters from £30, Wall Planters from £75, Christmas Trees from £15; add-ons Green Roof £40, Doors £55 each). Built mostly by volunteers from marginal timber.
3. Wood collection service fees: Charge-by-volume timber waste collection from construction sites, commercial premises and households across Bristol and beyond. £23 per cubic yard (excl. VAT); minimum 6 cubic yards at £138; pallet collections £150; £35 distance surcharge outside Bristol. 30-day invoice or payment at point of collection. Recurring relationship with repeat customers.
4. Delivery service: Hourly delivery service charged at £35/hour (includes loading, travel, unloading) with a £35 minimum charge. Used for moving customer-purchased timber, bespoke workshop furniture, and Shedzone units.
5. Workshop cutting & machining services: Custom timber processing services: cutting from £5 per job (chop saw, rail saw, table saw); machining and planing at £60/hour (£90/hour for timber not bought from BWRP). Large/complex cutting orders billed at the £60 hourly rate.
6. Bespoke furniture commissions: Made-to-order furniture from reclaimed scaffold boards, pallet wood and timber waste. Custom shelving from £30/metre. Customers contact [email protected] or visit store to discuss projects. One-time commission revenue with prices varying by spec.
7. Hardware & accessories retail: Off-the-peg accessories sold alongside timber: metal brackets from £12/set (black or bare steel), hairpin legs from £32/set (sizes 4", 8", 12", 28" in various colours, plus custom metal legs on request).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bristol Wood Recycling Project (BWRP) is a not-for-profit cooperative that collects, reuses, and transforms waste timber. It operates a public timber yard selling reclaimed scaffolding boards, floorboards and sustainably sourced hardwoods, runs a carpentry workshop producing bespoke furniture and shelving, and manages a wood collection service from construction sites and households across Bristol. Its Shedzone division manufactures modular outdoor recycling and storage units from marginal timber, with delivery and assembly offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shedzone: A division of Bristol Wood Recycling Project that specialises in low-tech upcycling of marginal timber into storage products including recycling units, wheelie bin stores, bike stores, potting tables, planters and wall planters.

Products and services

• Reclaimed Timber Shop Walk-in retail outlet offering reclaimed scaffolding boards (£25 per 3900mm full board, £6.50/linear metre shorter), sustainably sourced live-edged hardwoods (Oak, Ash, Sweet Chestnut, Beech, Poplar, Lime, Sycamore, Yew, London Plane), reclaimed Victorian pine floorboards, dimension timbers, and sheet materials (plywood, OSB). Targeted at DIY enthusiasts, homeowners and self-builders.
• Workshop Bespoke Furniture & Carpentry On-site carpentry workshop producing tables, table tops, bookcases and other custom furniture from reclaimed scaffold boards, pallet wood and timber waste. Operated by staff alongside trained volunteers for tradespeople, makers and end-customers.
• Bespoke Items Service Made-to-order custom items including extra-long tables, custom bookcases and one-off projects. Customers discuss projects in person or via [email protected].
• Custom Shelving Made-to-specification shelves from reclaimed scaffold boards starting at £30/metre, with options for waney-edged hardwood (Oak, Ash, Beech), bespoke wide shelves up to 420mm, alcove shelving with matching battens, and optional oiling. Customisation for pipes and cable accommodation available.
• Shedzone Recycling & Storage Units Modular upcycling division producing sturdy outdoor storage units from marginal wood including Standard Unit (£264), Wide Standard (£290), Triple (£400, free delivery and assembly), Side Entry (£300), Half High (£204), Tower (£178), Low Profile (£190), Bike Store (from £300), Potting Tables (from £100), Planters (from £30), Wall Planters (from £75), Christmas Trees (from £15), with add-ons Green Roof (£40) and Doors (£55 each). Custom builds such as compost toilets also offered.
• Wood Collection Service Timber waste collection from construction sites, commercial premises and households across Bristol and beyond. Charged at £23 per cubic yard (excl. VAT) with a minimum 6 cubic yard collection (£138); pallet collections £150; £35 distance surcharge outside Bristol. 30-day invoice or payment at point of collection. 3.5-tonne caged vans with up to 16 cubic yard capacity.
• Delivery Service Hourly delivery service for timber, workshop commissions and Shedzone units at £35/hour (includes loading, travel, unloading) with a £35 minimum charge. Shedzone Triple unit includes free delivery and assembly.
• Cutting Service In-shop timber cutting using chop saw, rail saw and table saw. Prices start from £5 per job; large or complex orders priced at workshop hourly rate. Cannot cut MDF, chipboard, creosoted pieces, or some larger timbers.
• Machining and Planing Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 tons of wood rescued from waste since 2004
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core network membership and minor — residual waste destination.

• Community Wood Recycling Project (national network)flagship / core network membershipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004BWRP credits the 'support of the national Community Wood Recycling Project' as a key reason it has been able to rescue over 7,000 tons of wood since 2004. The national CWRP is the umbrella network for community wood-recycling projects across the UK, of which BWRP is a member. The relationship is mutually supportive — the network provides shared infrastructure, learning and brand; BWRP contributes local operational capacity in Bristol.
• Veolia (Avonmouth recycling centre)minor — residual waste destinationOthers

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Travis Perkins: Largest UK builders' merchant; competes with BWRP on new timber, scaffold boards and floorboards at national scale. Relevant as the scale benchmark BWRP cannot match on price/availability for new-stock items.
• Veolia UK: Large UK waste-management operator, including the Avonmouth facility referenced as a residual destination for wood BWRP cannot reuse. Competes for downstream waste-flow contracts and represents the landfill/chipping alternative BWRP displaces.
• Jewson: National UK builders' merchant with broad timber, sheet materials and reclaimed/second-hand stock in selected branches. Competitor for both retail DIY customers and construction-site timber supply in the Bristol area.
• HIPPO Waste & Recycling: National skip-hire and waste-collection brand; competes with BWRP's paid timber collection service (currently £23/cubic yard) for construction and household wood-waste uplift, though without the reuse/resale element.

Others

• Build Reuse: UK reuse-sector network promoting reclaimed building materials; thematic peer in the circular-economy space and a potential partnership/learning network for BWRP's social-enterprise model.
• Community Wood Recycling Project: National umbrella network of community wood-recycling projects of which BWRP is a member; provides shared infrastructure, learning and brand support that BWRP explicitly credits for its 7,000+ tons of wood rescued. Network-level not a direct competitor but the most relevant ecosystem peer.

Direct peers

• Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project: UK community wood recycling social enterprise running a timber yard, paid collections, and volunteer-led workshop operations on a similar single-site integrated model. Closest analogue in product mix and customer segments to BWRP outside the Southwest.
• Norwich Wood Recyclers: East Anglian CWRP member offering paid timber collections and a reclaimed-timber retail yard with volunteer-supported operations. Same social-enterprise model and similar revenue mix (collections + retail).
• Edinburgh Wood Recycling: Fellow Community Wood Recycling Project member offering the same model — paid timber-waste collections, retail reclaimed timber yard, volunteer programme and carpentry workshop — but serving Edinburgh rather than Bristol. Most directly comparable operating model in the UK network.

Emerging players

• Salvo: UK marketplace and directory for reclaimed building materials including reclaimed timber; overlaps with BWRP on the reclaimed-timber retail side but operates as a listing platform rather than a physical yard/workshop.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bristolwrp
• Instagraminstagram.com/bristolwrp
• Xx.com/bristolwrp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bristol-wood-recycling-project

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bristol Wood Recycling Project(BWRP)