When words like 'sustainable,’ ‘antique,’ and ‘reclaimed’ are in danger of losing their meaning, how do we know what is real?
 
The need for certification to build trust in our built environments and the materials and things we choose to surround ourselves with at home is arguably more important than ever. We premiered our Truly Reclaimed video at CEweek2022, part of a World Circular Economy Forum to show Salvo’s label for real reuse in action. See the link to watch below.
 
The label helps people distinguish Truly Reclaimed from new products made to resemble the old, and the video illustrates the environmental impact of choosing materials that really are reclaimed for reuse. Shown here engraved on woodblock, Truly Reclaimed QR tags can connect people to items ranging from architectural antiques to batches of reclaimed building material. From the past life of a parquet floor to reclamation rescue stories and the embodied carbon saved through reuse, the video takes a tour of The Antique Oak Flooring Company with insights from the owner, Bob Lovell.
 
Truly Reclaimed is sister to the Salvo Code, the longstanding peer-reviewed community of businesses that meet high standards in responsible sourcing. The Salvo Code applies to a business. Truly Reclaimed applies to an item. Salvo Code members have long supplied shops, hotels and hospitality spaces, and the label creates an immersive layer to commercial environments with design stories that people can snap and see. It also allows businesses to have their reuse ethos recognised and carbon savings counted.
 
Thanks to Guy Chenevix-Trench of Antiques By Design for telling me about innovative pieces they supplied to The Pig's restaurants and rooms and for this brilliant before and after photo while making the bar at Martello Hall in Hackney. The decisions we make when we build, design or choose where to dine matter. When work and leisure feel more hard-won, it means even more to know what deserves our trust.