I am so big on reusing, reclaiming and salvaging any type of materials. One of the hardest to find in your area is building materials. Fortunately there are other alternatives than craigslist and givingaway.com. We now have planetreuse.com- who will make reclaiming and reusing a whole lot easier- saving time and money and best of all the environment!
“PlanetReuse makes it easier to incorporate reclaimed building material into projects around the world. As a brokering company, they match materials with your need, typically at a 15 to 20 percent savings over new. The process is streamlined and efficient: they locate and source the materials, test for quality and document for LEED certification. This frees you to focus on what you do best, and helps divert tons of construction materials from landfills. The PlanetReuse objective is simple: save your project money, save your time and save the planet.
Founded by an architect and a contractor, the PlanetReuse consultants know your world and speaks your language. Like you, they care deeply about responsible and sustainable construction. That’s why making it significantly easier for you to source reclaimed building materials is their mission. And because they work their consultant fee into the material suppliers cost, PlanetReuse is one of few examples where going green saves money.
Here’s how it works:
§ PlanetReuse consultants get involved as early as possible—ideally during the schematic or design development phase—to help determine what reclaimed materials you need. They provide access to an incredible palette of quality materials—from structural steel to reclaimed hardwood flooring—for projects of any size.
§ They fill your needs from our vast global network of demolition and reclamation contractors, sourcing as close to your project as possible. Without a proprietary stake in who provides the materials, we can offer a wide range of costs and options.
§ Then, they do whatever it takes to make the process easy for you: coordinate samples and submittals, certify quality with our ReAssure testing process, and develop specifications for your approval. Once approved, they reserve the materials exclusively for your project. They handle shipping and compile the necessary documentation for LEED submittal.
Reusing what we have only makes sense today. It was done for many years, and is still practiced in many countries. The article I read about how much material in the form of thrown out clothing lands up in landfills is disgusting. I work in the lumber reclaiming business, so I am very pro-active reusing what already exists. Lumber is thrown away daily in the U.S. We need to learn to save this lumber and use it where it is needed. Habitat for Humanity could get a lot of its lumber from falling down buildings across the midwest. Most of the material in these buildings will stay where it falls and rot. What a shame! Right now, those boards are still sound and ready for a new life. Let’s continue to work to change the attitude of the American public and Reclaim, Repurpose and Reuse. SADlumber, LLC