The ReBuilding Center receives material donations from all over the community – homeowners, schools, restaurants, you name it. One of these donors is Viridian. Viridian is a local Portland business that sells ready-to-install flooring, paneling, and tables made from reclaimed wood. They recently donated many materials to our lumberyard, such as the gym flooring, redwood planks, and the (very popular) bleacher board. The ReBuilding Center is grateful for Viridian’s generosity and willingness to help divert waste from the landfill. We recently chatted with them about our partnership and the reuse industry:
What inspires Viridian to donate to the ReBuilding Center?
We love Portland and we strive to contribute in any way we can. Focusing on sustainability is at the core of why we do what we do. Partnering with the ReBuilding Center forwards our mission to both support our local community and promote the use of sustainable building materials.
What motivates Viridian to reuse/reclaim materials?
Viridian’s start came from our founders’ project to keep some amazing wood from ending up in a landfill. Since then, the mission that has kept the company moving forward is to reclaim as much wood as we can and promote sustainability. The wood we reclaim helps reduce the demand for new lumber and makes our community a better place.
But we don’t stop there! We are always looking for ways to innovate and refine our processes. For example, all our paneling finishes have switched over to a highly sustainable and efficient UV light process. This process is 100% VOC-free, eliminating the need for thousands of gallons of finish chemicals every year.
The region's interest in reducing waste seems to be growing. Why does Viridian think that is? How can we encourage our community to participate in the cycle of reuse?
More and more people are starting to realize the direct impact they have on the environment and their local communities. This creates a new paradigm within a community, and the more people participate, a snowball effect occurs and a new culture is formed.
Inspiration can be a big driver for people to participate. Showing what can be done to upcycle or reclaim can open the world of possibilities for people to find their own amazing pile of wood to save from a landfill.
