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Turning Sawdust into Gold: How a Blue Mountains Carpenter is Heating Homes and Reducing Waste
Briquettes made from sawdust at Against The Grain (Photo: Saskia Everingham)
When Dave Spees began making timber windows and doors out of his garage in 2006, he didn’t expect sawdust to become one of his biggest problems – or his most innovative solution.
Nearly two decades later, the Katoomba-based carpenter and founder of Against the Grain has turned the by-product of his craft into a sustainable, sought-after winter fuel. His compressed sawdust briquettes are now helping to heat homes across the Blue Mountains, all while dramatically reducing landfill waste.
Key Points:
Dave Spees transformed his carpentry business’s sawdust waste problem into a sustainable heating solution by creating compressed briquettes for Blue Mountains residents.
After initial challenges with a small press, a $200,000 German Weima machine now produces high-quality briquettes using only hydraulic pressure and premium timber sawdust.
The briquettes have become a popular winter fuel staple, with up to 40 tonnes stored annually and strong demand from local residents.
From Craftsmanship to Climate-Conscious Innovation
Spees, a long-time Mountains local who grew up in Springwood, has spent his life working with timber: first as a carpenter and joiner, then as a bespoke window maker. By 2009 his window-making business had taken off, as had his production of sawdust.
“We were filling 10 to 12 industrial bins of sawdust every month,” Spears recalls. “It was becoming a serious stress. It didn’t feel right to just keep dumping it into landfill.”
That waste stream eventually led him overseas, where a trade expo in Germany opened his eyes to how European manufacturers were compressing sawdust into heating briquettes. In fact, they were using the briquettes to heat the factories. Nothing, he noticed, was going to waste.
Dave Spees (Photo: Saskia Everingham)
A Machine with Muscle
Back home, Spees invested in a small German briquette press and reworked his factory’s dust extraction system to feed it. But early versions of the briquettes – small, soft discs – weren’t quite hitting the mark.
“People liked the idea, but not the product,” he says. “They’d fall apart too easily, especially in fireplaces. We solved our dust problem, but we hadn’t cracked the briquette.”
After a few years of trial and error, Spees applied for a NSW Bin Trim grant, a government initiative aimed at managing commercial waste. The grant allowed him to purchase a high-capacity $200,000 Weima press – far more powerful and sophisticated than his first.
It was a risk, especially for a small family business. But the investment paid off.
Vacuum chutes collecting sawdust to send to the press. (Photo: Saskia Everingham)
Collected sawdust fed into the press. (Photo: Saskia Everingham)
Briquettes fresh from the press dropping into the container(Photo: Saskia Everingham)
The new press creates dense, high-performance briquettes using only hydraulic pressure – no glue, no additives. It has an 800mm diameter pipe that sucks the dust from each workbench into a huge external hopper, from which the briquettes are then compressed.
The external hopper (Photo: Saskia Everingham)
The mix includes offcuts of premium Australian hardwoods and imported timbers like rosewood, cedar and blackbutt – leftovers from Spees’ custom window and door work.
“They’re dry, clean-burning, and incredibly efficient,” he says. “People are often surprised by how much heat they generate.”
The briquettes for sale at Against The Grain’s Katoomba showroom (Photo: Saskia Everingham)
From Waste to Winter Warmth
The briquettes are now a staple for many Blue Mountains residents, especially older locals who can no longer split firewood. Spees stores up to 40 tonnes each summer in preparation for winter, when demand surges.
“We have regulars who come in with boxes to fill up,” he says. “It’s all self-serve. We don’t really advertise anymore – word’s spread.”
So much so that during especially cold or wet seasons, the briquettes have occasionally sold out. In those cases, Spees and his team keep a waiting list, prioritising vulnerable or elderly customers.
The sawdust comes from a wide range of timber sources, and balancing the composition to keep the press running smoothly remains an ongoing challenge.
“One minute we’re machining soft pine, the next it’s dense ironbark,” Spees explains. “That can jam the machine if we’re not careful. It’s taken years to get the settings right, but the support from Weima’s team in Germany has been incredible.”
Designing for the Fire
The story comes full circle in Spees’ own Leura home, which he designed around a fireplace with hydronic radiators – a nod to European efficiency.
“I always wanted to be able to heat my own home with the material we produce,” he says. “And now I can. We’re not just keeping warm, we’re closing the loop.”
The project exemplifies how sustainable thinking, paired with craftsmanship and persistence, can reshape an industry from the inside out.
From discarded sawdust to winter staple, Spees’ briquettes are more than just an alternative fuel: they’re a local blueprint for what small businesses can do when sustainability becomes part of the design.
Against the Grain also supplies boxes of kindling (Photo: Saskia Everingham)
Interested in trying the briquettes?
Against the Grain offers self-serve pickup from their factory at Unit 24-26, Megalong St, Katoomba. Supplies are limited in winter: best to bring your own box and get in early!
Looking for a fun, educational and sustainable day out these school holidays?
Come along to Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair in Katoomba on Saturday 10 October, with a line-up of free talks, activities and entertainment for all ages!
🌿 The Importance of Bioregions in Uncertain Times Join permaculture pioneer Rowe Morrow to explore how our land, water, food, energy and communities are connected - and how we can build a more resilient Blue Mountains.
🌱 Discover Old Man Saltbush Get up close to this remarkable native plant with Anne Elliot, and discover its potential as part of a more diverse and resilient food system.
🪱 Have a go at worm farming Learn how easy it can be to turn food scraps into valuable nutrients for your garden - with a hands-on worm farm activity from BMCC.
🎶 Enjoy live music Take a break, relax and soak up the atmosphere while enjoying live music by Olivia Dustmann throughout the day.
🎨 Kids` Corner - all day! Rock painting, crafts and story time, with plenty of fruit and veggie-inspired fun for younger visitors.
Explore local stalls, food, gardens, wildlife, sustainability and practical ideas for creating a more resilient food future.
Entry to the Fair and markets is free, with a range of free and paid sessions and workshops available throughout the day. Some sessions have limited capacity, so registration is recommended.
View the full program and register your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
📅 Saturday 10 October | 9am–4pm 📍 Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba...
Join Andris Heks, Yogic Psychotherapist, winner Best Actor, Blue Mountains, for his workshop to laugh as you never laughed before, as part of a movement to globalise people-bonding cheerfulness through kookaburra laughter contagion as an antidote to distressing world divisiveness.
Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop
View the trailer and the GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/globalise-unconditional-love-through-kookaburra-laughter
Key event information: - When? 10:15AM - 2:30PM, Sunday 4 October 2026 (1st day of Daylight Saving - 1 hour forward) - Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, 33-39 Acacia St, Katoomba, NSW, 2780 - Fee? $60 or what you can afford - Note: please bring your own lunch
What to expect: - Learn how to stay cheerful for good - Learning the funny, human emulated, communal kookaburra laughter and meditation - How communal kookaburra laughter promotes bonding even amongst strangers - The awesome native treasure of the laughing kookaburra phenomenon - Why Kookaburra Yoga is the ‘most excellent of Yogas` - How communal kookaburra laughter contagion boosts the subtle and gross national product - How you could contribute to the kookaburra laughter contagion
This event is supported by Blue Mountains Planetary Health.
Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop...
Come along to the Planetary Health Centre this Saturday for the next Skill Share Saturdays event!
This weekend`s agenda:
8:30AM - 10AM | Learn how to use your sewing machine class with Sherlie McMillan
8:30AM | Planetary Health Cafe open, serving Good Fat Pastry and Whisk and Pin
9AM - 10AM | Tai Chi and Qigong class with Virginia Field
10AM - 12PM | Learn how to grow WITH the Upper Blue Mountain permaculture workshop with Leni from Alchemy Farms
10AM - 3PM | Fashion Upcycling Workshop with Sherlie McMillan
10:30AM - 12PM | Learn to make focaccia from scratch with Laura Zucchetti (no experience needed)
1:30PM - 4:30PM | Planetary Health Bushcare with Karen Hising
For more information and to purchase a ticket, please visit the website: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026
📣HEADLINE SPEAKER📣
Our headline speaker is Julian Cribb AM – a renowned Australian science writer, journalist and author who has spent more than 50 years communicating science, agriculture, climate and global sustainability issues. He is the author of several influential books, including The Coming Famine (2010), Food or War (2019) and How to Fix a Broken Planet (2023), which explore the future of food systems, planetary health and humanity`s long-term survival.
He is widely recognised as one of Australia`s leading voices on global food security and sustainable development.
To register for his talk, and view the rest of the program, visit the website: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair...
At our next Skill Share Saturdays event on Saturday 5th September, join Laura Zucchetti at 10:30am to learn how to make focaccia from scratch!
Come along for a 90 min class where you`ll mix, rest and stretch your own focaccia dough from start to finish, guided every step of the way. You’ll take home your dough to bake on the day in your own oven.
Sign up to this session, and view the other offerings on the day via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026
We are pleased to announce that the program and registration for Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026 is now live!
Follow this link to view the program and register your place: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
Key information:
When? Saturday 10 October, 9AM - 4PM
Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba
Who is it for? Families, gardeners, enthusiasts, community groups and businesses, anyone looking to learn about how to be more resilient through local and sustainable food systems.
What to expect? Talks, workshops, demos, market stalls, family activities, music, food
Is there a cost? Entry to the Fair and Markets is free. Talks and workshops are ticketed (both free and paid) and have limited capacity, so please register in advance.
Program highlights:
🌏Headline talk: The age of renewable Food – Julian Cribb AM 🎋Wild edibles foraging workshops – Diego Bonetto, Eat More Weeds 🏞️The importance of bioregions in uncertain times – Rowe Morrow, Permaculture Matters 🥒Home canning and food preservation workshop – Kirsty Berté, Permaculture Hawkesbury Valley 🏡Designing your own Permaculture Property – Leni Nyssen, Alchemy Farms 🍃Utilising what’s in front of you – Uncle Lex, The Ganya Shed 🪱How to worm farm - BMCC 🎸Live music by Olivia Dustmann 🌾Community crop and seed swap
Tickets are limited so please register your place now: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
We are also seeking stallholders for the event. If you are a grower, retailer, community organisation or business that would like to get involved, please reach out to [email protected]!...
Thank you to everyone that joined us at the Planetary Health Centre on Saturday for the first of our Skill Share Saturdays program!
The Centre was a hive of activity all day, and we heard from @alchemyfarms_permaculture, the @ediblegardentrailbluemountains team and Andy Mann. Also thanks to Sherlie McMillan from Greater Blue Mountains Rotary for teaching the Fashion Upcycling workshop, and Virginia Field for the Tai Chi and Qigong class.
The next event will be held on Saturday 1st August - you can register your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre
🖐Get involved!
Do you have a skill, program or interest that promotes planetary health that you`d be willing to share with members of the local community? We are looking for more workshop and session hosts for our future events.
Join us at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on the first Saturday of every month for Skill Share Saturdays!
Our July program includes: - What to grow in a Blue Mountains climate - Eating for Earth - Tai Chi and Qigong - Fashion upcycling and clothing reuse workshop - How to get involved with the Edible Garden Trail
You are also welcome to bring any surplus seeds or produce for our Crop Swap, or wind down in the Planetary Health Cafe (until 2pm).
If you have a skill that you want to share, or any questions or queries, please contact [email protected]
Visit the website to view the full program of events and register your place.
Join Andy Mann, a 23 year old Lawson local, for their Eating for Earth session 🌏
Eating for Earth is a judgement-free plant-based educational workshop that all types of eaters are encouraged to attend. There will be a presentation about the environmental impact of diets, a discussion section, and best of all, food! The food will be fully plant-based.
Andy wants to help inform our passionate community about how we can better reduce dietary environmental impact.
The session will run from 11AM - 12PM on Saturday 4th July.
Other sessions include: - What to grow in a Blue Mountains Climate - Fashion Upcycling - Tai Chi and Qigong - Bushcare on the Planetary Health site - How to get involved with the Edible Garden Trail
To register your place, visit our website: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
We’re excited to announce the second Blue Mountains Food Security Fair, taking place in Katoomba in October 2026.
This annual event will bring together growers, thinkers, makers, and community members to explore one of the most important challenges of our time: how we grow, share, and sustain food in a changing world.
Across the weekend, we’ll be exploring themes including: - Healthy soil and regenerative systems - Food and human health - Plant-based food futures - Home and community food resilience - Water-sensitive and climate-adapted growing - Indigenous food knowledge and systems - School food systems - Australia’s food procurement - Global food security challenges Expect a dynamic program of inspiring speakers, practical workshops, and hands-on experiences designed to leave you informed, empowered, and connected.
Key information Date: Weekend of 10th October 2026 Location: Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba, NSW We’ll be announcing speakers and program details soon.
We are also inviting expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who would like to contribute to the program, host workshops, run a stall or partner with us.
Do you struggle making the most of your veggie garden all year round?
Join Leni from @alchemyfarms_permaculture on Saturday 4th July for her Permaculture Workshop: Learn how to grow WITH the Upper Blue Mountains seasons, rather than battling against them.
During the two-hour session, you`ll cover crop selection for different seasons, what to grow from seeds vs seedlings, frost and wind protection, and nurturing your soil with a seasonal cycle.
Register for this and other sessions as part of our Skill Share Saturdays program via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
“Every body can help the planet” is the tagline of Earthly Remains, a not-for-profit organisation set up to advocate for human composting as a more sustainable death care option in Australia.
