The worldwide demand for wooden might develop by 54% between 2010 and 2050, in keeping with a examine by the World Resources Institute. Whereas some constructing supplies like metal get consistently recycled again into the availability chain, wooden doesn’t. Cambium hopes to repair that.
Cambium appears to be like to construct the availability chain that retains wooden from being wasted by connecting these with already-been-used wooden to the companies and people that want it. Cambium co-founder and CEO Ben Christensen just lately informed TheTrendyType’s Found podcast that solely 5% to 10% of wooden will get reused at the moment with most ending up in landfills or was mulch.
“We’re constructing a greater worth chain the place you need to use native materials, you need to use salvaged materials, and all of that’s related by way of our know-how,” Christensen stated. “In order that’s what we do is we ship carbon sensible wooden, domestically salvaged wooden, tracked on our know-how, to massive consumers to construct buildings to construct furnishings to make use of any form of factor that you just use wooden for. And we try this in a very environment friendly and value aggressive means.”
Demand for extra sustainable wooden has been rising in recent times, Christensen stated, however earlier than Cambium there wasn’t system to seek out the recycled wooden. Cambium fixes that and extra he stated. The corporate goes to companies with recycled wooden to promote and reveals them the demand for his or her merchandise whereas additionally promoting its software program that helps with stock administration and level of sale to those suppliers.
Cambium additionally helps consumers get higher visibility into the place their wooden is coming from and might additional scale back their carbon footprint by deciding on a neighborhood vendor, Christensen stated.
“Individuals like actually, actually wish to purchase this materials, we’ve been actually overwhelmed with demand there and that helps us get sourcing and quantity onto the platform with the intention to go and meet that demand,” Christensen stated.
Christensen added that the corporate has benefited from a generational shift too as development corporations and folks in wood-related trades retire and the subsequent technology of oldsters in these fields look to undertake know-how and be extra environmentally pleasant.
Cambium was based in 2019 and relies in Washington D.C. The startup has raised greater than $8.5 million in funding from VCs together with The Alumni Fund, Gaingels and MaC Enterprise Capital, amongst others.
