-Here in Seattle, we know that nearly 20% of
construction waste comes from demolishing homes.
When we demolish homes, we do in ways that
allow us to put now the put the wood of the old buildings to new uses.
We make a significant impact on reducing our carbon footprint
and our waste production.
-All across America, we are seeing local leaders and communities coming together
to think of innovative ways to expand recycling opportunities.
[nail guns bangs]
It creates jobs and economic development.
It reduces our greenhouse gas emissions and it creates new opportunities
to reuse products.
And what better way to do that here
in the Pacific Northwest than repurposing old growth timber.
-Some of the Douglas Fir lumber, which is primarily
what we salvage out of Seattle homes, is over 600 years old.
These trees could grow
to the height of half the Space Needle and be ten feet wide at their base.
We don't have too many trees like that left anymore.
we just think this is a beautiful wood that should not be wasted
and we'll never have it again if we don't protect it now.
-This whole wall's interior walls frame with the reclaimed two by fours.
They've been in a house that was deconstructed by Sledge Seattle.
They were probably in that house for decades.
Sledge carefully pulled them out of that home using deconstruction,
denailed them and prepped them for use again
in this home where they will hopefully be used for another 100 years.
You can tell that this is a reclaimed board. It's a different look, right?
But yet it's still beautiful.
-We just do it because we're we really believe in
building low carbon and as sustainable as possible.
This is just a really exciting opportunity, I think, for the city,
and it shows the power of partnerships.