In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we speak with Eric Law, CEO and Co-founder of Urban Machine, about how robotics and AI are transforming one of construction’s dirtiest secrets — wood waste. Every year, the U.S. generates over 37 million tons of discarded lumber, most of which ends up burned or buried. Urban Machine’s automated system, fittingly named The Machine, scans, “cooks,” and removes metal fasteners from used lumber, turning what was once landfill-bound debris into reusable, high-value wood. The conversation explores the evolution of this technology, the economics of competing with virgin lumber, new building-code pathways for reclaimed materials, and how scaling local reuse could reshape construction’s carbon footprint.

Key Points:

• The scale of waste is staggering – Each year, construction and demolition sites across the U.S. generate more than 600 million tons of debris — twice the amount of household waste. As demand for low-carbon building materials grows, this overlooked waste stream represents one of the construction industry’s largest untapped sustainability opportunities.
• Automation unlocks circularity – Until recently, reclaiming wood at scale was slow, expensive, and labor-intensive. Urban Machine changes that equation with a robotic system that uses AI-driven computer vision to identify and remove fasteners, nails, screws, and staples at industrial speed.
• Sustainability benefits multiply – Every board that’s reused instead of discarded extends carbon storage, reduces deforestation, and cuts the emissions tied to manufacturing and long-distance transport of virgin lumber. Because Urban Machine’s model relies on local sourcing and processing, it also minimizes trucking miles and landfill methane emissions, while supporting regional supply chains.

• Eric Law, CEO and Co-Founder of Urban Machine, LinkedIn
• Luis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications

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