At Nostalgic Wood, we believe in the ‘Three Rs’ of sustainability: Reclaimed, Recovered and Rescued. While the words have been transformed from the original, better known ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, the overall meaning has not. We strongly believe in, and commit to, sustainable practices; recycling materials as much as possible; reusing and repurposing existing cuts and pieces; and doing our very best to offer timeless and quality pieces that will breathe new life in their new space.
Our process has gotten more refined over the years. We continue to challenge ourselves to make Nostalgic Wood as sustainable and environmentally conscious as possible. Here are some ways we’ve integrated this practice into our business…
Using Existing Timber
All of our products offered are made from existing timber. The wood may be from old barns that needed to come down, from hazardous trees affected by insects including the Emerald Ash Borer, and from the bottom of lakes or waterways. We do our very best to ensure that our products fall into our three categories of Reclaimed, Recovered, or Rescued. We strongly believe that existing timber offers the most character and helps to limit the impact on forests.
Strategic Cuts
One way we ensure that materials are used efficiently, with as little waste as possible, is by having varying sizes of floor boards. This adds character to the floors and allows us to use as much of the reclaimed material as possible. We hate wasting beautiful, salvaged wood, so we do everything possible to ensure minimal waste. Actually, having varying board sizes can enhance the look of the floor, and allows for more of the wood character to shine through; the grain, knots, marks, etc. are prevalent and emphasized with board size.
Metal over plastic
We use Metal Ties to keep our boards together instead of the single use plastic ties that are commonly used. We are also able to have heavier loads within each tie, reducing the overall amount of ties used per order. This helps to significantly cut down on waste per floor. The metal ties can be properly recycled, whereas the plastic ones often cannot.
Featured: Metal Ties
One site, less emissions
Our operation has been condensed to one site. This cuts down on the amount of overall emissions generated during each work day. No more need to travel between sites to get the same amount of work done. In fact, we’ve been able to increase productivity at the new site!
Entire process is local to Southwestern Ontario
Our entire process is local to southwestern Ontario. We value keeping the process very close to home to strengthen the community around us, and use the valuable resources we already have so close by. Additionally, keeping the process local helps us keep a close eye and ensure that the highest quality is kept in all our pieces.
We at Nostalgic Wood commit to doing our very best to preserve and promote sustainability. We’re passionate about our products and are sure you’ll find our products offer a unique and breathtaking feel that simply cannot be matched by a new product.