Calculate Your Impact
How Much Can You Save?
Enter the amount of reclaimed lumber you plan to use and select the species. We will calculate the environmental benefits compared to purchasing new lumber, including trees saved, CO2 offset, water conserved, energy saved, landfill diversion, and carbon sequestration extended.
1 board foot = 1 in. x 12 in. x 12 in.
Oak
One of the most popular reclaimed hardwoods, oak is dense, durable, and features prominent grain patterns. Reclaimed oak often comes from barn framing, warehouse flooring, and industrial structures dating to the early 1900s.
Quick Select
Common Project Sizes
Not sure how many board feet you need? Select a common project type below to auto-fill the calculator with a typical board foot estimate. Then hit “Calculate My Impact” above.
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The Data
Industry Benchmarks: Reclaimed vs. New Lumber
How does reclaimed lumber compare to newly harvested lumber across key environmental metrics? Here are the numbers, based on lifecycle analysis data from CORRIM, the U.S. Forest Service, and EPA.
Embodied Energy
Embodied energy measures the total energy consumed in producing a material, including extraction, processing, and transport. Reclaimed lumber skips harvesting and primary processing, resulting in dramatically lower embodied energy.
CO2 Emissions
New lumber production generates CO2 through forestry equipment, sawmill operations, kiln drying, and transportation from remote forests. Reclaimed lumber emissions are limited to salvage, transport, and secondary processing.
Water Consumption
Water is used extensively in new lumber production for log washing, sawmill cooling, kiln humidification, and dust control. Reclaimed processing requires only minimal water for dust control and equipment cooling.
Landfill Diversion
Every board foot of reclaimed lumber represents material that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Construction and demolition debris accounts for approximately 25-30% of total U.S. landfill volume.
Old-Growth Timber Quality
Old-growth timber has tighter grain, higher density, and greater structural strength than plantation-grown wood. These qualities are only available through reclaimed sources, as old-growth forests are largely protected from commercial harvest.
Carbon Sequestration
Wood stores carbon absorbed during the tree's growth. When wood goes to a landfill, it eventually decomposes and releases that carbon. Reclaiming wood extends its carbon storage for another full lifecycle.
How We Calculate
Our Methodology
The environmental impact metrics in this calculator are calculated using a comparative lifecycle analysis approach. For each metric, we calculate the environmental cost of producing new lumber (from standing tree to finished board) and subtract the environmental cost of producing reclaimed lumber (from salvage to finished board). The difference represents the net environmental benefit of choosing reclaimed.
Trees saved is calculated based on average board foot yield per tree for each species, accounting for the tree's diameter, height, and form factor. A mature oak yields approximately 830 board feet, so 1 board foot of reclaimed oak saves 1/830 of a tree.
CO2 offset accounts for emissions from forestry operations (felling, skidding, road building), primary transport (log truck to sawmill), sawmill processing, kiln drying, and secondary transport (mill to distributor). These emissions are avoided when you choose reclaimed lumber.
Landfill diversion is based on the weight of material recovered from demolition sites that would otherwise be transported to landfills. We use actual board foot to weight conversions based on each species' density.
Water saved reflects the water consumed in new lumber production processes including log washing, sawmill cooling, kiln humidification, and dust suppression. These figures come from CORRIM lifecycle assessment data.
Energy saved captures the electricity, diesel, and natural gas consumed in harvesting, primary transport, sawmilling, and kiln drying new lumber. Converted to kilowatt-hour equivalents for comparability.
Carbon sequestration extended represents the carbon stored in the wood fiber that remains locked in place when the wood is reused rather than sent to a landfill. Wood stores approximately 1 ton of CO2 per ton of dry wood. When wood decomposes in a landfill, this carbon is released as CO2 and methane.
Data Sources
- CORRIM (Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials)Embodied energy, water consumption, and CO2 emissions per board foot for new lumber production by species
- U.S. Forest Service -- Forest Products LaboratoryWood density data, board foot yield per tree, carbon content of wood fiber by species
- EPA -- Waste Characterization ReportsConstruction and demolition waste volumes, wood waste composition, landfill diversion metrics
- USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA)Average tree dimensions, growth rates, and species-specific yield factors for North American timber
- Boston Lumber Operational DataEnergy consumption, water usage, and processing yields from our own facility operations, tracked since founding
Important Note on Accuracy
These calculations are estimates based on industry-average data and may vary based on specific salvage conditions, transportation distances, and processing requirements for individual orders. We believe in transparency: our impact factors are conservative estimates designed to understate rather than overstate environmental benefits. Actual savings may be higher than shown.
The Bigger Picture
Why Choosing Reclaimed Lumber Matters
Every year, millions of board feet of usable lumber end up in landfills. At the same time, new forests are harvested to meet construction demand. Choosing reclaimed lumber breaks this cycle. It keeps valuable material out of landfills, reduces demand for new deforestation, and provides you with superior old-growth wood that is denser, more stable, and more visually striking than anything coming off modern mills.
Construction and demolition debris accounts for approximately 600 million tons of waste generated in the United States annually -- nearly twice the amount of municipal solid waste. Wood makes up a significant portion of this debris. By reclaiming and reusing this wood, we address both the waste problem and the demand for new timber simultaneously.
The environmental metrics in this calculator are based on industry-standard lifecycle analysis data from the U.S. Forest Service, EPA waste characterization reports, and embodied energy research from the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM).
Less Embodied Energy
Reusing structural timber reduces embodied energy by up to 75% compared to new lumber.
Diversion Rate
We divert 94% of material from demolition sites away from landfills.
Trees Saved Yearly
Our operations preserve over 2,800 mature trees every year.
New Deforestation
Every board we sell comes from an existing structure, not a standing forest.
Tons C&D Waste/Year
The U.S. generates ~600 million tons of C&D waste annually. We are working to reduce that number.
Years of Added Life
Each board we reclaim gets another 50-100+ years of productive use, extending its carbon storage.
Common Questions
Environmental Impact FAQs
Answers to the most common questions about our environmental impact calculations, methodology, and the benefits of choosing reclaimed lumber.
Q1How are these environmental impact numbers calculated?
Our calculations are based on lifecycle analysis data from the U.S. Forest Service, EPA waste characterization reports, embodied energy research from the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM), and carbon sequestration data from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory. Each species has unique factors based on its density, typical harvest and processing requirements, and end-of-life characteristics.
Q2Why do different species have different impact factors?
Impact factors vary by species because of differences in wood density, growth rate, typical tree size, processing energy requirements, and the geographic and logistical factors involved in harvesting each species. Denser woods like oak and chestnut require more energy to process and transport, so avoiding that processing by choosing reclaimed stock yields larger savings. Species with slower growth rates, like heart pine and chestnut, represent more years of growth preserved when reclaimed.
Q3Is reclaimed lumber really better for the environment than new lumber?
Yes, by every measurable metric. Reclaimed lumber eliminates the environmental costs of forest harvesting (habitat disruption, soil erosion, road building), primary processing (sawmilling, drying, chemical treatment), and long-distance transportation from forest to mill to distributor. It also diverts material from landfills, where decomposing wood generates methane -- a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period. The only environmental costs of reclaimed lumber are salvage, transportation to our facility, and secondary processing (de-nailing, milling, kiln drying).
Q4What does 'carbon sequestration extended' mean?
Trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow, storing the carbon in their wood fiber. This stored carbon remains locked in the wood for as long as the wood exists in a usable form. When wood is sent to a landfill and decomposes, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere. By reclaiming wood and putting it back into use, we extend the period of carbon storage for another full lifecycle -- potentially another 50-100+ years. The 'carbon sequestration extended' metric shows how much stored carbon your purchase keeps out of the atmosphere.
Q5Can I get an official impact report for my project?
Yes. We provide environmental impact reports with every order upon request at no additional charge. These reports quantify the trees saved, CO2 offset, landfill waste diverted, water saved, energy saved, and carbon sequestration extended for your specific purchase. Reports are formatted for inclusion in LEED documentation, corporate sustainability reports, and marketing materials. Email info@boston-lumber.com to request your report.
Q6How do these savings compare to other green building choices?
Choosing reclaimed lumber is one of the highest-impact decisions you can make in a building project. Per dollar spent, reclaimed wood typically delivers more carbon offset, more waste diversion, and more embodied energy savings than upgrading insulation, installing solar panels, or choosing low-VOC finishes. That said, the best green building projects combine multiple strategies. Reclaimed lumber works alongside other sustainability choices, not as a replacement for them.
Q7Are the water and energy savings real, or theoretical?
The savings are based on the difference between the resources required to produce new lumber (from standing tree to finished board) and the resources required to produce reclaimed lumber (from salvage to finished board). The new-lumber figures come from peer-reviewed lifecycle assessments. The reclaimed-lumber figures are based on our actual operational data. The 'savings' represent resources that are genuinely not consumed because the wood already exists and does not need to be harvested, sawn, and dried from raw logs.
Q8What happens to reclaimed wood that does not meet your quality standards?
Material that does not meet our grading standards is not discarded. Lower-grade stock is repurposed for industrial applications, garden use, or donated to community workshops and trade schools. Material with hazardous contamination (lead paint, for example) is disposed of through licensed hazardous waste contractors following EPA protocols. Our overall diversion rate from landfill is 94% of all material we acquire from demolition sites.