Urban Ashes: Building a Circular UrbanWood TriconomyTM

Abstract

Paul Hickman founded Urban Ashes (UA) in 2009, manufacturing wood products from urban salvaged wood. The opportunity for this type of business arose in the wake of the Emerald Ash Borer, which launched its devastating impact in 2002 near Detroit, Michigan. This devastation to trees grew widespread quickly; as of 2013, the Emerald Ash Borer had spread to at least 15 states and two Canadian Provinces, and had destroyed between 50 and 100 million Ash trees across North America (Pacitti, 2013). This enormous influx of lumber from Ash tree removal demanded better utilization than simply entering our waste streams, where it decomposed and emitted carbon into our atmosphere. Within the United States, wood from urban trees and wood products from deconstructed buildings is seen as a burden by municipalities, and is largely handled as if it is a waste product for simplicity's sake (Pitti, Espinoza & Smith, 2020). With an estimated 64% of above-ground tree biomass being merchantable, it is estimated that missed opportunities per year in the state of Michigan equate to the following: 1.7 million tons of lumber; 1.26 million board feet of lumber; 1.54 million metric tons of carbon1 ; 27.6 million USD industry (Nowak et al., 2019). In addition to carbon storage and feedstock for wood products, trees offer significant value in terms of ecosystem services, such as leaf litter to support vegetation growth, reducing runoff into streams resulting in cleaner water, urban air filtering resulting in healthier urban air, cooling of urban heat islands which results in lower energy costs, and improved community mental health and well-being through the benefits of green spaces (Nowak et al., 2019)(City of Ann Arbor Forestry Public Works). The model that Paul developed at Urban Ashes model merges this overlooked environmental value with supporting returning citizens and bringing high-value, locally sourced and manufactured endproducts to the national retail market. At the time of Urban Ashes’ founding, the main outputs were picture frames and furniture, manufactured from Ash tree wood and other species that would have otherwise entered waste streams. Paul worked as the main product designer and business manager, employing largely formerly incarcerated individuals and youth who have had contact with the justice system to perform manufacturing roles in the shop. A somewhat unique proposition at the time, Urban Ashes employed returning citizens and worked to be both a personal and vocational support system for individuals working to reclaim their lives post-incarceration. Long before the concept of the triple bottom line became mainstream, Urban Ashes was marrying profit with deep-rooted consideration for, and prioritization of, people and the planet. This approach manifested as The Circular UrbanWood Triconomy™ (CUT) model, a business framework based on the triple bottom line that seeks to measure and improve outcomes related to social, environmental and financial ends. The CUT model is customized for the urban wood2 economy, and seeks to increase environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic diversity. The CUT model generates several benefits across varied domains: ● It diverts valuable urban lumber from waste streams (such as landfills), reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ● It invests in high level organics recycling; it develops urban milling and manufacturing 1 Assuming on average that lumber is 50% carbon by weight 2 Urban wood is any wood that comes from recently fallen trees that came down for any reason other than their wood value. They can come from urban, suburban or rural environments. Urban Ashes: Building a Circular UrbanWood TriconomyTM Final Report 4/19/2022 6 infrastructure ● It disseminates production expertise and best practices ● It expands tree planting and maintenance that creates opportunities for startups and local community support ● It reduces unemployment and recidivism for returning citizens while giving purpose and direction to youth who have had contact with the justice system (Hickman). Selecting Ann Arbor as a hub in which to grow this model, Urban Ashes is uniquely positioned to create and scale its CUT model by consulting businesses and municipalities across Michigan and the US. Through his expertise, Paul and UA can help interested organizations divert urban wood from landfills and create a market for circular urban wood products in partnership with organizations that operate with a triple bottom line approach. Work streams for development and realization of the CUT model have been split into the three distinct features of the triple bottom line or TriconomyTM mentioned above: environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic diversity. Building on the credibility of Urban Ashes’ past as a national manufacturer and designer of urban salvaged wood products, this project team has worked with Paul to reimagine Urban Ashes 2.0 - a consultancy equipped to adapt and implement the CUT model with municipalities and private business owners across Michigan and the greater US.