Case Study Reclaimed the Greener Way: A Proposed Supply Chain Model for the Reclaimed Lumber Industry

Introduction

OurEarth.org suggests ten easy ways to go green. Their advice is simple: reduce, turn off electronics not in use, recycle, use florescent light bulbs, fix leaks, buy recycled, turn off computers, properly dispose of hazardous waste, and buy fresh and local organic vegetables. These are acceptable practices for homes or businesses at the end of the supply chain such as retailers. But as we move up the supply chain the conversation changes, particularly with the basic producers, converters and fabricators. For example, for a cotton producer to “go green,” they must consider alternative ways to use all of the cotton including the hull and the seeds. Some examples of how the cotton producers have dealt with this can be found at www.runthemill.com). The company operates with an objective to reduce wood that finds its way into the landfills. They have done so for 10 years for “new wood”; producing hardwood lumber, flooring, beams, etc from trees that died from natural causes such as disease and storm damage. Recently the company has added reclaimed lumber products as a means of simultaneously increasing their markets and being more eco-friendly. While they currently focus on milling, the owner is always looking for ideas to streamline the manufacturing process and to reduce the overall waste of wood including within the industry.