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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!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair today. It was an inspiring and thought provoking day with lots learnt, many connections made, amazing food consumed and stunning weather! We look forward to doing it again next year!
The inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair kicks off at 9am today at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. Pop in to listen to a talk, watch a demo, grab a coffee and sweet treat from Good Fat Pastry, a delicious lunch from Bibi`s Kitchen, fresh mushrooms from EarthRising Mushroom Farm, locally acclimatised vegetable seeds from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers, and edible native plants from Muru Mittigar Ltd You can view the full program here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Planetary Health Centre is at 33-39 Acacia St (former Katoomba Golf Course).
The Fair is a World Animal Day event and has been supported by a sEEd grant from the Australian Association of Environmental Educators.
A huge thank you to Richard Burrell from Muru Mittigar Native Nursery who delivered us the following edible natives to sell at our Food Security Fair on Saturday 18th October:
Apple Berry Finger Lime Mat Rush Lomandra longifolia Midgen Berry Native Leek Native Parsnip Native Raspberry Female and male Pepper Berry Vanilla Lily Yam Daisy
You can view the full program for the Food Security Fair here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle
We`re thrilled that EarthRising Mushroom Farm will be at the Blue Mountains Food Security Fair this Sat 18 Oct with their fabulous fresh mushrooms, mushroom grow kits and other mushroom products. Alex can help you get started on mushroom growing and let you know more about the mushroom compost you can pick up from the Farm in Lawson. View the full program for the day here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle The Fair is at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre: 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba (former Katoomba Golf Course)
Such an amazing program for the Food Security Fair at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on Sat 18 Oct: from the renowned Holly Davis, co-founder of Iku, and author of Ferment, giving a hands on demonstration of how to preserve and increase the health and deliciousness of food through fermentation, to Dr Milena Bojovic from UTS on the Future of Food! Dr Teya Brooks Pribac from Plant Inspired will demonstrate innovative plant based cooking techniques, Michael from Good Fat Pastry will share baking innovations, Marnee Fox from Forage to Feast will share how to use Wild Edibles, seed saver extraordinaire Lloyd Sharp from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers will share his amazing expertise and launch the Upper Blue Mountains Seed Savers and Gardening Group, Manu Prigioni from Farm it Forward will discuss equity and nutrition security and Farm it Forward’s response to the National Food Security Strategy document, Erin Hall will provide a hands-on Weaving with Weeds workshop, and Nev Sweeney will share how to build and use a solar food dehydrator. Places are limited so bookings essential here (link in profile @bluemountainsplanetaryhealth : https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or... This event has been supported by an Australian Association for Environmental Education sEEd grant.
Social enterprise @farmitforward is working to increase local food security one backyard after another, and with young people at Katoomba High School. At the Food Security Fair on Sat 18 Oct, co-founder Manu Prigioni will speak about Incorporating equity and nutrition security in discussions on food security: Farm It Forward’s response to the National Food Security Strategy document. Reserve your spot for her presentation here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nOSJle Read more about Manu and Farm it Forward in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/46PTAfF
Join seed saver extraordinaire Lloyd Sharp, from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers, as we launch the Upper Blue Mountains Seed Saving and Gardening group at the Food Security Fair on Sat 18 October. Lloyd will share some of his extensive seed saving experience, and there will be an opportunity to purchase and share local seeds and plants. Huge thanks to Happy Valley Seeds for donating heirloom seeds and discount cards, and to @thediggersclub for generously donating Vegetable and Flower Sowing Guides and their 2025/2026 Heirloom Seed Annual. There will be one for every attendee! The Food Security Fair is being held at the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre 33-39 Acacia St Katoomba and the Seed Saving presentation is at 10.20am. Bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or-planetary-health-initiative
Nev Sweeney, renowned permaculture teacher and practitioner, from Under the Choko Tree, will be leading a workshop on how to build and use a solar food dehydrator at the Blue Mountains Food Security Fair on Saturday 18 Oct. Nev will talk about why food dehydration is a good idea, some techniques that can be used to dry food, pretreat or not to pretreat, general tips and considerations about food drying, drying fruit and veg, testing for dryness and using dried produce. He will explain how he made a simple direct solar food dryer and a more complex indirect solar food dryer. Reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or-planetary-health-initiative
Planetary Health volunteer, American permaculture teacher Susan Krings, has been helping to organise the inaugural Blue Mountains Food Security Fair. If you`d like to learn more about volunteering at the Centre email planetaryhealth@bmcc.nsw.gov.au or ring 0407 437 553
You can purchase tickets for the Food Security Fair in Katoomba on Saturday 18 October here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/food-sec...
The day will include stalls, talks and demos about growing, sourcing, cooking, preserving and enjoying plant based food and protecting habitat for wildlife. The event is part of a series celebrating the centenary of World Animal Day.
The fabulous line up of speakers and workshop tutors includes Dr Milena Bojovic on the Future of Food; Holly Davis, co-founder of Iku and author of `Ferment`; Michael from Good Fat Pastry; Nev Sweeney from Under the Choko Tree on how to build a Solar Powered Food Dehydrator; Lloyd Sharp from Mid Blue Mountains Seed Savers; Marnee Fox from Forage to Feast; Teya Brooks Pribac from Plant Inspired; and Erin Hall on Weaving with Weeds and Manu Prigioni from Farm it Forward.
Stalls will include EarthRising Mushroom Farm, Bibi`s Kitchen, edible native plants, the Planetary Health Cafe and more.
Each session needs to be booked individually as numbers are strictly limited.
This event is being supported by a sEEd grant from the Australian Association for Environmental Education.
At the Food Security Fair on Sat 18th October the inspiring Teya Brooks Pribac, author of ‘Not Just Another Vegan Cookbook’ and founder of Plant Inspired, will be sharing innovative but very simple culinary techniques that can help you make delicious icecream, ‘egg` sandwiches and a wide range of cheeses without any eggs or dairy. Food that’s healthier for you and the planet. You no longer need to worry if the supermarket shelves suddenly don’t have eggs, or if you can’t afford them! There are so many cooking techniques that can help us create our favourite foods, without requiring animal products! The session will end with one of Teya’s fabulous cheese tastings. Bookings essential for this fascinating workshop here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or-planetary-health-initiative
This event is one of a series celebrating the centenary of @worldanimalday @ph_alliance
In Marnee Fox’s session on Wild Edibles at the Blue Mountains Food Security Fair on Sat 18 October, she’ll share how to incorporate wild ingredients into your every day diet AND make it delicious. Marnee Fox is a sustainable interior decorator, stylist, foodie and weed convert. She`s also one half of Forage to Feast Australia with husband, renowned environmental educator Diego Bonetto. Building on Diego`s much-loved weed foraging workshops, Marnee takes the food found on the foraging tour to the table. Bookings essential (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or-planetary-health-initiative
If you haven`t yet tried the deliciousness of Good Fat Pastry you`ll be in for a treat at the Food Security Fair on Sat 18 October! Join Michael, the creative baker producing these mouthwatering plant based (and mostly gluten free) treats for breakfast, where he will inspire you to rethink everything you know about baking:
"Baking is both borne and constrained by convention—as are our expectations. Since Ancient Egypt and Rome, eggs, dairy, and cereals have been used in baked goods for flavour and functionality. The enormity of cakes, pastries, biscuits, and desserts we know and love—and the countless we have no awareness of—have been discovered and created through spontaneity and experimentation. Almost always resting on the magical transformations of these key ingredients under heat and energy.
Yet as the realm of food is one of creativity and sensory inquisitiveness there are inherent possibilities for alternatives—in replicating the familiar as well as creating novelty. This path can follow the complexities of molecular gastronomy or the simple pragmatism of substituting with what`s on hand. Find whatever works for you."
Spaces are limited so bookings essential here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/food-security-fair-or-planetary-health-initiative
As challenges mount globally there is one group of community builders who, for 120 years now, have been strengthening the world’s social fabric and addressing ways civil society can help alleviate suffering and inequality; improve people’s quality of life; and create a more peaceful, healthier planet.
