In January, our Director of Operations Aaron Blanchard was invited to the Science and Math Institute (SAMI) in Tacoma. As a part of a series showcasing different green industries, Aaron showed the importance of salvage through a presentation along with materials for the students to look at and feel for themselves. From describing how Earthwise works to the history of Tacoma, Aaron showed salvage in a tangible, hands-on way.
Aaron at SAMI
The first part of the presentation was about Aarons history at the Peace Corps and how he found his way into the salvage industry. For many, salvage is an unknown entity. Aaron came upon it from his friend introducing him to the idea of deconstructing old buildings to reuse the materials. ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ was a big aspect of the presentation, as Earthwise prides itself on reusing materials as our entire business model.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Aaron then discussed sustainability in economics, the race to the bottom, and planned obsolescence (a big problem in many products we use today!). The take-away is clear, materials from older buildings are made to be reused for several more decades. From old growth wood, or products built to last forever, salvage has a huge positive impact on the environment.
Aaron Talking about Earthwise
“A huge aspect of Earthwise’s mission is education. What better way to drive this mission forward than to educate students who are about to enter the workforce to get them thinking about what kind of industries they’d like to be a part of.” – Aaron Blanchard, Director of Operations
Thank you from SAMI
We are always excited to tell students all about why our industry is so important. Thanks, SAMI!