More of a comment then a question. I’ve had a lot a luck using cedar sawdust as mulch for plants. I grow a lot of veg and other Plants and it works really well to repel insects. All natural and smells great in the Garden.
Fresh sawdust consumes nitrogen. It should be left to cure, outdoors for at least a year, you can accelerate the process with moisture and some fertilizer with a lot of nitrogen to burn the carbon, close and wait at least 2 months.