Urban Ashes partners with municipalities, local businesses, and institutions to design and implement sustainable, self-sufficient urban wood utilization systems based on our Circular UrbanWood Triconomy™ (CUT Model™). Our work helps cities divert fallen urban trees from the chipper, burn pile and the landfill, redirecting them toward community-centered high-level uses that deliver measurable environmental, social, and economic outcomes.
​
The CUT Model™ -The CUT Model identifies and develops the essential data, systems, networks, and local partnerships needed to transform urban wood from a disposal burden into a community asset. Urban Ashes works alongside each city to design recovery and utilization programs that align with municipal and community goals, especially carbon reduction, circularity, and equity.
​
Rooted in the benefits of localized circular economies, the CUT Model ensures that control, revenue, and long-term value remain with the city, its partners and the community. Programs are customized to fit each community’s unique resources, challenges, municipal and community assets, enabling communities to:
​

• Reduce long-haul transportation emissions and costs

• Retain economic value and reinvest locally

• Build transparent, accountable systems

• Increase local responsiveness and turnaround

• Expand inclusive workforce development

• Strengthen resilience and supply chain independence

​
From Manufacturing to Consulting
Urban Ashes no longer operates as a manufacturer or log broker. Instead, we offer consulting services leveraging over a decade of industry manufacturing and more than 25 years in green building, urban wood utilization and material innovation. We focus entirely on building capacity within municipalities and their local partners to manage their own local log recovery, processing, and product distribution systems.
​
Program Framework
Urban Ashes guides municipalities and local stakeholders through a phased process that enables them to build a full-service local urban wood recovery system from the ground up.
​
Why This Local Model Works
Urban Ashes deliberately steps out of the middle of operations. We do not manage log yards or facilitate product sales. Our role is to design and establish systems that are fully self-sustaining and community-run.
​
This local-first approach ensures:
• All financial benefits remain local
• Cities maintain full control, transparency, and agility
• Programs are built around local assets, not scaled to regional limits
• Local small businesses and underrepresented communities access new economic pathways
• Materials stay closer to home, reducing carbon and promoting resilience
• Access to carbon-negative materials for use in local public and private projects
Municipal and Community Benefits
​
Municipalities
• Cut landfill tipping fees by up to 50 percent
• Reduce GHG emissions by up to 65 percent
• Retain all revenue from log sales
• Improve carbon tracking, transparency, and reporting
• Enable future participation in carbon markets
• Access locally sourced wood for municipal projects
​
Community
• Strengthen local organics and material recycling infrastructure
• Expand milling and manufacturing capacity
• Reduce embodied carbon in construction and design
• Create accessible jobs and support inclusive entrepreneurship
• Foster circularity, resilience, and community ownership
​
Our Commitment
Urban Ashes is a consulting partner, not a middleman. We design systems for local ownership, then step aside. Our approach ensures long-term sustainability and impact while keeping resources, control, and revenue in the community.
​
We are always available for ongoing consulting support to address new opportunities or challenges as your program evolves.