Bay Area Redwood: Circularity At Its Finest
Bay Area Redwood was founded with the mission of keeping trees out of landfills. Find out how they create timeless works of art from sustainably sourced wood.
Founder of Bay Area Redwood, Nick Harvey
What is Bay Area Redwood?
Established in 2018, Bay Area Redwood was founded with the mission of keeping trees out of landfills. Today, they continue their work to reclaim urban felled trees to create timeless works of art from sustainably sourced wood. They never like to see fallen trees, but some are uprooted from erosion, infestation or die of old age. The organization redirects these trees from being wasted and puts the materials to higher use by milling slabs or fabricating artisanal wood products through collaboration with local artisans and master craftsmen.
Founded by Nick Harvey in August 2018, Bay Area Redwood aims to keep felled trees out of the waste stream and has worked to promote bio-waste diversion and urban reclamation ever since. Besides running Bay Area Redwood, Nick is involved with environmental nonprofits such as Stop Waste and Save the Redwood League.
What environmental issues does Bay Area Redwood solve?
Bay Area Redwood addresses several environmental issues, primarily tackling the problem of trees being felled daily.
Use of sustainably sourced ingredients:
Bay Area Redwood’s business model involves partnering with arborists to cut felled trees into large segments upon removal. The arborists then haul the trees to Bay Area Redwood’s local log recycling yard, where they begin the manufacturing stages of the process. By milling each log into slabs or dimensional lumber and initiating the drying process, they ensure nearly 100% of local trees that come down are recycled and reused.
The cured slabs are either sold rough or sent to their fabricator, Luis, in West Oakland, where they are sealed using a variety of finishes, from natural oil blends to conversion varnish. The finished products are brought directly to customers, their San Ramon showroom, or their local warehouse.
Do Bay Area Redwood goods serve human or planetary needs?
Lumber for new construction or furniture is a human need that is consistently in high demand. With current lumber sourcing being drawn from clear-cutting, which is directly attributed to forest degradation and habitat destruction, the need for ethically sourced lumber is imminent.
Here’s how Bay Area Redwood is meeting the demand for lumber with ethical sourcing that contributes to a circular economy.
Human Needs:
Wood is a major supplier of human needs; it is used to make building materials, firewood, furniture, and even paper. Though many alternatives to wood are being developed in hopes of eliminating the need for lumber, the likelihood of humans not using wood is next to nothing. Bay Area Redwood meets the human needs of wood materials by not imagining a world without it but reimagining where wood can be sourced from. By looking locally and finding materials that are meant to go to waste, this company snatches up waste from a linear economy and repurposes it into a circular economy by having local builders, etc., use the felled wood.
Planetary Needs:
By milling each log into slabs or dimensional lumber, they ensure nearly 100% of local trees that come down are recycled and reused. Every tree that they use from local felled wood meant for the wood chipper is one less tree that needs to be clear-cut from a forest. This means one less building, one less table, and one less piece of paper is a product of unsustainably sourced wood. On a small scale, it’s a drop in the bucket. When you look at this impact on a planetary scale, Bay Area Redwood is creating a future where wood products won’t need to decimate natural resources to keep up with the demand.
What happens to a Bay Area Redwood product at the end of its life? Can it be integrated into a circular economy?
The most interesting thing about Bay Area Redwood is that all of its products are made from items that would be found at the end of either a linear or circular economy. Therefore, this company is the direct source of supply for lumber products that will be used to build new products or buildings. By acting as a sustainable source for many different industries, this organization is actively adding sustainable and circular properties to its business models.
Is Bay Area Redwood a sustainable company I can trust?
Bay Area Redwood has proven that it is committed to more than just selling felled tree materials. Throughout its business, from conceptual creation to core values, sourcing, manufacturing, and operations, it has integrated sustainability principles to ensure it acts in the planet’s best interests.
Here are other reasons why we are vetting Bay Area Redwood as a sustainable company:
- They support local citizens by offering services to connect those with trees that need to be cut or removed with local arborists.
- They are heavily involved with community projects and other sustainable organizations.
- They keep tree products from entering landfills.
- They work to supply local or central businesses to their manufacturing location, reducing the need for transportation and, therefore, minimizing their carbon footprint.
- Their focus on producing high-quality, long-lasting products ensures that customers receive durable items that will last longer, reducing the need for replacements and minimizing waste.
Overall, Bay Area Redwood has developed a signature business model that benefits both humans and the planet. Their impact on the environment doesn’t just begin with the products they make but rather ensures its sustainable impact lives on where their products go or are used.
When you choose Bay Area Redwood, you support homeowners and large commercial developers in recycling trees that have reached their natural end of life. You become a part of the high-quality, locally sourced wood products that have been given a second life and are cherished in homes, offices, restaurants, and public parks.
To learn more about Bay Area Redwood’s sustainable sourcing practices, how they promote recycling and reuse, and how to encourage these practices in your work, reach out to learn@bayarearedwood.com. They also offer opportunities for organizations to host Lunch & Learn sessions or bring their teams for behind-the-scenes tours of Bay Area Redwood’s operations.
Explore Bay Area Redwood on our sustainable marketplace
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Key Takeaways:
- Founded by Nick Harvey in August 2018, Bay Area Redwood aims to keep felled trees out of the waste stream and has worked to promote bio-waste diversion and urban reclamation ever since.
- This company is the direct source of supply for lumber products that will be used to build new products or buildings.
- By acting as a sustainable source for many different industries, this organization is actively adding sustainable and circular properties to its business models.
- When you choose Bay Area Redwood, you support homeowners and large commercial developers in recycling trees that have reached their natural end of life.
