Urban or Salvaged Wood
Wood recovered from trees removed for reasons other than their timber value: e.g. hazard, storm damage, disease, infestation, development, utility work or retired orchard trees. This is often referred to as urban wood even when sourced from suburban or rural removals. Sources include but are not limited to municipal streets and parks, private yards, campuses, and utility corridors. In the urban wood industry, salvaged orchard trees are also included even though they are not located in cities.
NOTE: Salvage logging after fires, insect infestation, and other natural disturbances is sometimes controversial and should not automatically be considered “climate smart.” Only salvage logging within ecologically restorative forest management plans that are attempting to maintain the restorative values associated with that stand should be considered climate smart.
Why this is Climate Smart
- Diverts material from landfills, chippers or grinders, avoiding methane and carbon emissions
- Stores carbon long-term when logs are milled into durable wood products
- Reduces fossil fuel use and transportation climate impacts when locally sourced, which is often the case
- Builds local circular economies and workforce opportunities
- May reduce pressure on forests, allowing them to continue providing vital environmental services such as storing carbon, providing wildlife habitat, improving water and air quality, etc
Traceability & Transparency
It may be relatively easy to establish traceability and transparency for urban or salvaged wood due to shorter supply chains and municipal and institutional records such as:
- Tree removal permits
- Forestry or GIS databases
- Institutional/utility removal logs
- Carbon data tracking software such as GoodWood Verified, Traece, or AncesTREE
- Urban Salvaged and Reclaimed Woods (USRW) Certification
Pros
- Clear benefits for climate & forests: Delivers high climate impact by diverting removed trees to their highest and best use rather than disposal or low value uses, such as chips, mulch and firewood. May reduce pressure on natural forests, allowing them to continue storing carbon and supporting biodiversity.
- Jobs: Drives local economic development through milling, fabrication, and value-added manufacturing.
- Expanded design palette: Expands access to a wider variety of wood species with distinct character and aesthetics.
- Storytelling: Creates authentic storytelling opportunities around place, people, and circular design.
- Recognized green building material: Eligible for recognition in some green building and product rating systems, including Living Building Challenge.
Cons & Resolutions
- Variable availability: The availability of urban wood varies depending on the geography, as does the selection of products (e.g., only lumber may be available from some sources while others may offer a wider variety of products).
- Resolution: Identify and prioritize cities and regions with log recovery programs. Research which products are available.
- Market and product unfamiliarity: Design and construction teams may not be familiar with the urban wood supply chain, its applications, or how to specify and work with unusual species or mixed character.
- Resolution: Provide basic training, share case studies, direct teams to supplier directories, and engage consultants or other experienced industry professionals who can guide specification and sourcing.
- Limited processing capacity: Some areas may have limited infrastructure for milling, drying, or fabricating urban wood.
- Resolution: Encourage the development of regional log yards or aggregation hubs that can handle processing and distribution of urban wood.
- Unusual product characteristics: Urban wood is often available in unusual species and its character (appearance) is generally less uniform than virgin wood. Also, quality can vary depending on the source.
- Resolution: Position unusual character and species as a design advantage and apply USRW quality assurance standards. Source from reputable, experienced and/or USRW certified providers.
