About the Urbanwood Project

The Urbanwood Project began in 2005 as part of Recycle Ann Arbor and the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council's efforts to encourage more recycling of dead urban trees, especially those killed by the emerald ash borer. Many local businesses have joined together through this project to provide the widest selection of high-quality, sustainable wood products available in southeastern Michigan. The Urbanwood Marketplace at the Recycle Ann Arbor ReUse Center is the first retail operation of its kind in the country, bringing together local producers of lumber, slabs, and other reclaimed urban wood products under one roof. With the help of the Genesee Conservation District, a second Urbanwood Marketplace at the Genesee County Habitat for Humanity ReStore opened in 2012 to bring these exciting products to the Flint region. A third location, at the Habitat for Humanity Haslett ReStore opened in early 2013.

Our Urbanwood Partners are small, family-owned businesses that have found ways to recover good logs from landscape tree removals and turn them into lumber and flooring. Most people see only waste and loss when trees are removed from our communities. Our project's members and supporters know better: these trees can live on as remarkable green products that conserve resources and support local jobs.

Support the Urbanwood Project

• Select Urbanwood Products for your next woodworking or home improvement project.
• Choose a member of the Urbanwood Partners when you need an arborist or sawmill.
• Talk to your community's leaders to see what they do with wood from tree removals in your city. Have they considered a wood use plan?
• Plant a tree and keep our communities green.
• Tell your friends about us!