A new system for the waste timber industry to consider is the US-built Rotochopper which is designed to shred all types of wood into a chip and then apply a liquid-based dye to them.

This colouring – there are ten different colours to choose from –is claimed to almost double the value of the chips when they are used for mulching in flower beds and corporate displays.

Marketed in the UK by Equipment Supply Services, the Rotochopper can produce up to 60 cu m/hour of coloured chips.  The machine carries a price tag of £55,000 and a bagging unit costs a further £11,000.