Real Estate Investing

Recycling. Reclaiming. Recovering. Dumpster Diving. Whatever you call it, there is tons of perfectly good waste discarded every day and the most resourceful among us are putting it to good use. These are the ultimate eco-friendly warriors. Some call them crazy, some call them genius. The above video is a good example. Filmed by Texas Country Reporter, the video offers a tour of Dan Phillips’ home in Huntsville, Texas. Phillips is a resourceful person and a skilled woodworker who decided to use 85% of would-be waste to create his sizeable, impressive-looking home.

From discarded picture frame corners to old wine bottle corks, Phillips was standing right by the dumpster with his hand out to bring them back to home sweet home. While Phillips may represent the ultimate in recycling, he is by no means alone. There are countless stories of junk retrieved from dumpsters — some of which is not so junky. Think about all the people who are too lazy or busy to donate their junk or hold a yardsale after spring cleaning and/or relocating to a new house. There’s a lot of great stuff to be had, especially after a little elbow grease, creativity and bleach disinfectant!

For the more squeamish among us, like myself, you can put a company to work for you. There are plenty of companies offering reclaimed and recovered lumber, for instance. Whether it’s recovered from the bottom of a river or reclaimed from trash piles, there’s plenty of recycled lumber to be found. Why cut down a perfectly good tree? For starters, and to get a grip on the possibilities, check out the 2008 Green Log Awards nominees in the category of “Reclaimed Wood — Flooring.” And happy dumpster diving — er, recycling!