Sustainability has been in our DNA since we opened our doors in 1977. In fact, the very idea of our stores was born from the spirit of re-use. When founder Jim Kelly began restoring beautiful, long abandoned Portland homes he realized that the quality of the lights and hardware found inside couldn't be found anywhere else. In those days, the market thrived on cheap knockoffs that paled in comparison with the originals.
So Jim cleaned up the ones he found and sold them to like-minded renovators. Soon demand outstripped supply, and Jim, realizing he'd tapped into the beginning of a movement that rejected the throw-away mindset, began manufacturing lights the way they used to be made—by hand, only the highest quality materials he could find. To this day, over 90 percent of our hardwired lights are manufactured in our Portland, Oregon factory.
Our factory features systems are designed to cut waste and reduce toxins. For example:
Water conservation: The building that houses our factory is outfitted to recycle the ample Portland rain water collected from the roof. This water is used in the manufacturing process and then funnels in to our closed-loop water system where an evaporator separates the reusable water from waste.
Toxin reduction: We use an electrostatic system for applying lacquer, which significantly improves efficiency in coverage and reduces the amount of lacquer being used. Industry-wide, the ratio of of lacquer sprayed to effectively utilized is about 50%. Our systems are able to effectively use over 70%. Additionally, our lacquer is custom formulated with lower VOCs than the industry average.
Reduce, reuse, recycle: We have extensive recycle/reuse programs company-wide. For example, as our lighting is made, any metal scraps are collected and hauled off to a center for re-use. We illuminate our factory with motion-sensor, low-energy lighting.
And speaking of re-use, we've always known that the most sustainable home good is the one that's already made. Our Antiques & Vintage team travels the country looking for historically significant and valuable treasures, then returns to our workshop to restore each one to its former glory. From wiring to lead paint abatement, our team ensures the pieces meet today's standards and codes, while maintaining historical integrity and character.
However—and this is where you come in—the biggest environmental impact occurs after our lighting leaves us. To help our customers use less energy, we offer LED hardwired versions of many of our bestselling lights and fans, as well as an ever expanding line of LED bulbs. This includes LED filament bulbs that look like old–fashioned Edison bulbs but use a fraction of the energy. We are committed to increasing the use of LED lighting technology in all lighting categories—including historically authentic reproductions—for both indoor and outdoor fixtures.
So when you order from Rejuvenation, you can feel assured that to us every day is Earth Day.