Sustainability Isn't a Buzzword. It's Our Business Model.
Every board we reclaim is a tree that doesn't need to be cut, a ton of waste diverted from a landfill, and a step toward a circular building economy.
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The Problem
600 Million Tons. Every Single Year.
The construction and demolition industry generates over 600 million tons of waste annually in the United States alone — nearly twice the amount of all municipal solid waste combined. Of that, the EPA estimates that lumber and wood products account for roughly 20-30%, translating to well over 100 million tons of recoverable wood heading to landfills each year.
In the Pacific Northwest, this crisis carries an additional tragedy. Much of the timber being discarded is old-growth Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and White Oak — species harvested from forests that took centuries to mature and can never be replicated. When a 1910 warehouse is demolished with a wrecking ball, we don't just lose building materials. We lose irreplaceable natural history.
Meanwhile, the logging industry continues to harvest new forests to meet demand for construction lumber — forests that serve as critical carbon sinks, wildlife habitat, and watershed protection. The cycle is wasteful, destructive, and entirely unnecessary.
Our Answer
Reclaimed Lumber Is Climate Action
Every piece of reclaimed wood we process represents a triple environmental win: waste diverted from landfills, trees left standing in forests, and carbon kept locked in the wood fiber instead of being released as it decomposes or is burned.
The Carbon Math
Numbers Don't Lie
Here's what the science says about reclaimed lumber versus newly harvested timber.
Less Energy
Processing reclaimed lumber uses approximately 80% less energy than harvesting, transporting, milling, and drying newly logged timber. Our solar-assisted kiln reduces that figure even further.
CO₂ per 1,000 Board Feet
Every 1,000 board feet of reclaimed lumber we sell instead of newly harvested wood keeps approximately one metric ton of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere — accounting for avoided logging, transport, and landfill decomposition.
Trees Saved per Project
The average Lumber Portland customer project uses around 500 board feet of reclaimed lumber, preserving the equivalent of 5 mature trees. Our largest commercial projects have saved the equivalent of 200+ trees in a single build.
Circular Economy
The Life Cycle of Reclaimed Wood
Our business model is the circular economy in action. Materials flow in a closed loop — nothing is wasted, everything finds a second purpose.
Salvage & Deconstruction
We partner with local deconstruction companies to carefully extract reusable timber from buildings slated for demolition. Hand-removal preserves wood integrity and recovers up to 85% of structural lumber — compared to just 5% with mechanical demolition.
Processing & Renewal
Every board is de-nailed, cleaned, kiln-dried in our solar-assisted kiln, inspected, and graded. This uses approximately 80% less energy than harvesting, transporting, and processing new lumber. Our solar kiln panels generate 70% of the energy needed for drying.
Second Life in Your Project
Reclaimed lumber enters service again in homes, restaurants, offices, and public spaces. A Douglas Fir beam from a 1920s warehouse might become the feature wall in a new Portland restaurant — extending its useful life by another century.
Zero Waste from Our Facility
Nothing leaves our shop for a landfill. Sawdust becomes garden mulch. Off-cuts become kindling bundles and craft blanks. Metal fasteners are recycled. Even our shipping materials are reclaimed cardboard and recycled packing.
Our Facility
A Zero-Waste Operation
Our 12,000 sq ft facility at 2135 NW 21st Ave in Portland was designed from the ground up for zero waste. Every waste stream has a destination that isn't a landfill.
Our Solar-Assisted Kiln
Our kiln drying system combines traditional heat with solar thermal panels to reduce energy consumption. The result is properly dried, stable reclaimed lumber with a fraction of the carbon footprint.
Partnerships
A Network Built on Shared Values
Sustainability at scale requires collaboration. We work with deconstruction companies, environmental organizations, and community groups across the Pacific Northwest.
Deconstruction Partners
We maintain relationships with 15+ professional deconstruction crews across Oregon and Washington. They prioritize careful hand-removal to maximize material recovery.
Habitat for Humanity
Materials that don't meet our commercial grading standards are donated to Habitat for Humanity Portland for affordable housing projects — keeping them in service rather than in landfills.
Portland Community College
We supply reclaimed materials for PCC's woodworking and construction trades programs, giving students hands-on experience with salvaged lumber and sustainable building practices.
Local Architects & Builders
Over 200 Portland-area architects and contractors source reclaimed materials from us regularly. We provide species certificates and chain-of-custody documentation for LEED-eligible projects.
Urban Forestry Partners
When Portland's urban trees must be removed due to disease or development, we work with the city's urban forestry program to mill and distribute the lumber rather than chipping it.
Environmental Nonprofits
We donate a percentage of annual revenue to organizations including Oregon Wild, Friends of Trees, and the Cascadia Green Building Council to support forest conservation and sustainable building advocacy.
Looking Ahead
Our 2030 Sustainability Commitments
We're not done. Here's where we're heading.
1 Million Board Feet Reclaimed
Double our annual processing capacity to recover even more timber from the demolition waste stream.
100% Renewable Energy
Transition our entire facility — including milling operations — to renewable energy sources by 2028.
Electric Fleet
Replace our delivery and salvage vehicles with electric alternatives as EV truck options become viable for our use case.
Regional Material Database
Launch a publicly accessible database of salvageable materials in buildings scheduled for demolition across the PNW, allowing anyone to rescue usable wood.
Carbon-Negative Operations
Achieve certified carbon-negative status — where the carbon savings from our reclaimed lumber exceed the total operational carbon footprint of our business.
Build Sustainably. Build With Reclaimed.
Every project that uses reclaimed lumber is a vote for a better building industry. See how much carbon your next project could save.