What’s the difference-Salvaged vs. reclaimed

Based on frequent conversations we have with customers, there is a bit of mis-understanding about “GREEN” and what it means and how it is determined. This also applies to salvaged and reclaimed. The bottom line is most anything that is or will be sustainable can carry the “Green” label. We prefer the term sustainable to Green as it is easier to understand and apply.

mine shaft beams reclaimed and reused

This also is true of salvaged verse reclaimed. Both meet the sustainable label and therefore they are ‘green’. The difference is also simple; reclaimed is material ‘re-uses’ from its original intended usage. A beam pull from an old warehouse is reclaimed and re-used in a new setting. It could be cut up, re-shaped or be used in any context, but the simple act of reusing fits the “reclaimed” definition.

Salvaged products come from items that were taken because of a need for being removed. A simple illustration is trees removed for a highway or new building. These are then processed into new products such as lumber, siding and/or furniture. This is different than ’harvesting’ trees on a commercial basis for resale.

cedar log salvaged during clearing and reused in new building

The picture to the right shows a finished use of salvaged wood. This particular mantel was salvaged from a building site in the Washington Cascades. At the time of removal we had every intention of reusing the wood back into the building. This took planning and preparations by all involved. The owners were interested in using what the site offered, the contractor (Senger Construction) needed to make sure the piece was secured in a way that it could be salvaged and reused and both had to be committed to the time and effort to achieved this. The log was air dried over the summer, then cut on the mill. It was then dried to a moisture content of 8% prior to finishing. While it took time, planning and effort, the end result was valuable to all involved.

This leads us to the next question, is one better than the other. You need to consider numerous things to understand and apply this. A beam reclaimed in Boston, Maine and shipped to Seattle, Washington is a reclaimed product that would need to be carefully considered to be a ”green” product. While it is reclaimed, the cost in environmental terms would be hard to justify. Consequently, salvaging material in Washington and shipping it to Texas for reused again would need to be analyzed for it to be label Green.

In most case, green means reusing within 500 mile from where it was. Whether it is salvaged or reclaimed, the real answer is can you make use of the product and will it be better/sustainable for the next generation. I found a short youtube clip that illustrates the sustainablity concept well. It is labeled “How sustainability can save your business“.