Wood products industry releases wood reuse website

ReuseWood.org is an online North American directory outlining wood reuse and recycling options.


The American Wood Council (AWC), Leesburg, Virginia, and the Canadian Wood Council (CWC), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, have partnered with the Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA), Chicago, to develop an online North American directory outlining reuse and recycling options for wood and wood products. The website can be found at: ReuseWood.org.

“For wood products, there has historically been a lack of awareness of the opportunities to recycle and reuse wood products, and thereby extend their useful life. We are aiming to change that,” says AWC President and CEO Robert Glowinski. “Our industry wants to do its part when it comes to the full life cycle impact of our products. It’s our hope that this directory will help educate builders, designers and consumers on the many opportunities to salvage, recycle or reuse wood products, in turn reducing waste.”

CWC President Michael Giroux adds, “Various construction sector stakeholders are increasingly being called upon to balance functionality and cost objectives with reduced environmental impacts on the built environment.”

Giroux continues, “This online resource is one of the ways the wood industry is taking ownership in the areas of reuse and recycle—affirming the renewable qualities of wood and wood products, and assisting the design/construction communities in reaching their green objectives.”

Features of the website include:
 
  • the business directory is accessible via both map and list, with sorting capabilities according to target categories (location, services provided, etc.);
  • individual listing pages show the contact information, location and available services for each business; and
  • the sustainable wood guide includes useful information and articles on the different wood products and the opportunities for wood reuse or recycling.
 
“The demand for reclaimed wood products has been steadily increasing as consumers recognize and value the look, feel, functionality and cost of reused wood in products such as flooring, furniture, structural timbers and more. The North American Wood Reuse and Recycling Directory will connect demand and supply to ensure the continued growth of this reclaimed wood market, while simultaneously keeping thousands of tons of wood out of landfills,” says BMRA Executive Director Anne Nicklin.

The associations say relevant businesses and organizations are invited to check or add their listing to the Reuse Wood business directory at www.ReuseWood.org.

The AWC says it is the voice of North American wood products manufacturing, representing more than 75 percent of an industry that provides approximately 400,000 employees in the United States with family-wage jobs. AWC members make products from a renewable resource that absorbs and sequesters carbon. Staff experts develop state-of-the-art engineering data, technology and standards for wood products to assure their safe and efficient design, as well as provide information on wood design, green building and environmental regulations, according to the AWC.

The CWC says it is an association representing manufacturers of Canadian wood products used in construction. CWC is a strong advocate for the use of life cycle assessment and communication about the environmental attributes through the use of Environmental Product Declarations. CWC provides technical and knowledge transfer services relating to codes, standards and regulations. The CWC says its vision is a ‘Wood First’ culture in North American where wood products are recognized as the sustainable building material of choice for residential and nonresidential construction.

The BMRA says it works to create a vibrant building materials reuse economy as part of a world without waste. The association accomplishes this by providing educational resources to its members in the reuse industry, and through targeted outreach and advocacy to the existing construction & demolition (C&D) industry as well as to the general public.

The BMRA says its mission is to advance the recovery, reuse and recycling of building materials in such a way to: 
  • reduce the consumption of new resources;
  • reduce landfill waste;
  • create a value-added market and increase cost effectiveness;
  • expand job opportunities and workforce development skills; and 
  • promote the sustainability of communities and the environment through resource preservation.

     
 

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