Meet the ReUse People of America

As their Mission Statement articulates, “The ReUse People of America reduces the solid waste stream and changes the way the built environment is renewed by salvaging building materials and distributing them for reuse.”  With headquarters in Oakland, CA, and a number of branches throughout the country, TRP is busy spreading the word about salvaging the overwhelming amount of materials from construction sites, in an effort to minimize waste flow to landfills.  Begun in the immediate aftermath of catastrophic floods in Tijuana, Mexico in April, 1993, with the help of San Diego and Tijana government and business leaders, the firm set out to provide over 400 tons of donated material to help rebuild devastated communities.  Once they acquire materials from construction sites, The ReUse People of America will then either sell them to customers at one of their facilities, or donate them to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity.  The company also offers demolition services for homeowners, whereby one may acquire tax deductions based on the overall value of salvaged materials, and provides online inventories of available materials according to location at regional TRP warehouses.

Please visit The ReUse People of America for more information.

Give Wood a Second Chance

(All images courtesy of Trestlewood.com)

Using reclaimed wood has its benefits.  For one, it’s a good contribution to green building.  Rather than cutting down trees to get the needed wood, reusing wood is just as good if not better.  Another key benefit is the wood’s history of origin, as knowing the wood came from a source with a history adds depth and value to a project, and often makes it a centerpiece and conversation starter for years to come.  These benefits along with others, are attractive selling points for companies who have invested in reclaiming wood.  Trestlewood, a wood salvaging company based in Utah, gets its wood from a part of U.S. history, and its story is really quite remarkable.  It all started in the early 1900s, with the completion of the country’s first transcontinental railroad.  The Southern Pacific conquered another feat as well, the Great Salt Lake with the Lucin Cutoff.  The construction for the Cutoff took two years, thousands of men, large amounts of equipment, miles of wooden trestles, and millions of board feet of timber.  The Lucin Cutoff was in service until the 1960s, when it was replaced by a causeway, by which time the trestle contained over 38,000 piles.  In 1993, Cannon Structures, Inc. established its Trestlewood Division when they obtained salvage rights to the trestle from the old Lucin Cutoff, and thus, a business was born.

Salvage of the Douglas Fir timbers, Redwood decking, and Douglas Fir piling took more than seven years to bring to shore.  Poles as long as 100 feet were carried over by a barge, some weighing more than 4,000 pounds.  Trestlewood maintained a desire to handle all salvaged wood cautiously, in order to preserve its value. Once on shore, some re-manufacturing was required, for example, any metal that may have still been in the wood was removed.  Most of the wood had been affected greatly by the Great Salt Lake, in that they were soaked to the core with salt water, which gave the final product a unique coloring.  These factors and more, make Trestlewood’s products different from others on the market, and they have been very active in identifying a market to fit the wood from the trestle.  Trestlewood is a small family-owned business based in Utah, and they are conservative with their budget and stand by their products, which have unique characteristics like no other.  The company believes in creating good relationships with their customers, and would rather see a customer happy than make a sale.  Currently, their products are being derived from the Douglas Fir piling, called Trestlewood II, with selections ranging from flooring, building lumber and timbers, to special products like fireplace mantels.

Trestlewood

Looking for a Sustainable Kitchen Sink?

Urban Ore is a shop in Berkeley California geared towards dramatically reducing waste by offering a outlet for recycling. They receive unwanted items and sell them “as is” to be reused or repurposed. At their facility you will find items like sinks, tubs, doors, windows and building materials. They accept cash, most major credit cards and of course Urban Ore trade credits.

The image above is from a local story about the establishment.