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While working for a recycling and disposal company that specialized in construction debris, Valerie Carey was astounded to see the scale and sheer volume of what gets thrown away and especially during new construction.

鈥淚f it鈥檚 not landfilled, wood waste currently goes to a grinder to be sold primarily as fuel for industrial boilers. This is considered 鈥榬ecycling,鈥� which it obviously isn鈥檛,鈥� she said. 鈥淎bout half of that waste is usable in some form or another, whether that is a new use or being manufactured into another product.鈥�

Determined to change the wasteful practice, Carey founded Sankofa Lumber in June 2020. The company provides a closed-loop alternative by offering direct reuse for standard framing lumber and products manufactured from otherwise unusable material. This keeps carbon locked in the wood and in buildings rather than burning it and creating more CO2.

Sankofa Lumber processes reclaimed wood debris for use in commercial-scale manufacturing and construction. It partners with general contractors and haulers to receive reusable wood waste from construction sites throughout the Portland area.

While some use reclaimed construction materials for DIY home projects or old-growth heritage lumber for high-end furniture and other products, that doesn鈥檛 really make a dent in the wood being incinerated or going to landfills, Carey noted. Sankofa Lumber, working on a business-to-business scale, receives average loads of wood waste that are 20-30 cubic yards, weigh 1.5-2 tons and are usually hauled by licensed commercial haulers.

鈥淚 saw that nobody was meeting this need and I saw a way that it would make a difference in terms of sustainability and economic growth,鈥� she said, adding she enjoys the creative problem-solving that goes along with having an entrepreneurial spirit she learned, in part, from her parents. Both of them started their own businesses and were self-employed.

Her master鈥檚 degree in international management, with a focus on sustainable development, and a background working in residential construction and retail sales of used building materials have served her well in her endeavor.

As a new NAMC-OR member, Carey said she appreciates opportunities to talk with people who are working toward equality and social and economic justice, and are also open to creative approaches to achieving sustainability and a healthy natural environment.

鈥淚鈥檓 not a contractor, but I鈥檓 obviously in a very adjacent space in terms of building materials,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very supportive group and members in widely different fields of work are really supportive in terms of offering advice and bringing in other members for projects.鈥�