Omaha currently has approximately 3600 homes that are deemed unsafe to live in; Of these, approximately 775 are on the list to be demolished. This has been a big problem in many ways. In demolition projects, as little as 40 percent of materials are salvaged. This leaves most of the wood, metal and other items wasted; filling up local landfills.
Jason Gillbreath, owner of Reclaimed Enterprises, has come up with inventive ways to save much of these homes in what is being called upcycling. The deconstructing process consists of carefully removing nails from walls, prying up flooring, pulling old sinks and counters and anything else salvageable from old, abandoned homes. All of these items will be re-purposed in various ways. New jobs, less waste and many old memories preserved in new products. In using these methods, up to 90 percent of the home or building is reused in other ways; rather than the 283 tons of materials ending up in the landfill.
Mr. Gillbreath started his company as a side job in July 2014. It began with an idea to build things such as barnwood trays, tables or counters. He has, in only thirteen weeks, turned this side job into a community saving business that offers jobs to local people in need; overlooking many things such as credit history and even criminal records to help hard workers get back on their feet.
To date, Reclaimed Enterprises has completed 13 properties in 1,481 man hours with a value of $44,200 in materials saved.
