Ben Christensen of Cambium on Solving Wood Waste, Building For Scale, and Running Ultra Marathons

Aug 29, 2024

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60 billion board feet of wood products are used in the U.S. every year, a majority produced by fresh logging and shipped from across the globe, while simultaneously, millions of tons of local wood waste ends up in landfills off-gassing carbon as it rots. But that inefficiency could rapidly change thanks to Cambium and its CEO and co-founder, Ben Christensen, who are revolutionizing lumber supply chains with their Carbon Smart Wood™ and Traece operating system.

Cambium reclaims fallen or removed trees that would typically end up in landfills and turns them into a locally sourced, carbon negative material that could potentially cut global carbon emissions by 4%. The firm is also using new technology to better track the trees during the supply chain process, increasing transparency, traceability, and sustainability. Cambium is also just getting started, partnering with mega brands like Microsoft and Patagonia in recent years and continuing to develop their clean technology and expand their markets.

Ben Christensen is an accomplished ultra marathon runner, so it’s probably fitting that the company he runs is built with long-haul sustainability and scalability in mind. Surrounded by forests and the outdoors as a child, Ben went to Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies to pursue his passion, and it was there that the idea for Cambium first took root. Not long after, Ben and his co-founder, Theo Hooker, a childhood friend and fellow ultra marathon runner, were racing to transform waste wood into valuable building materials.

Hear Ben share how his love for the outdoors turned into a revolutionary sustainable materials startup, why wood waste is such a massive problem (and also a potential market), and what carbon smart wood means for the future of lumber, supply chains, and our planet.

Episode Highlights

00:00 Ben Christensen on wood waste
00:51 Conor Gaughan introduces Ben and Cambium
06:34 Early passion for wood, a childhood co-founder, and ultra running
16:37 Yale’s Forestry Program, natural climate solutions, and carbon sinks
22:42 Launching Cambium, wood’s waste issue, and carbon smart materials
29:09 The potential market, building with scalability in mind, and evaluating impact
35:33 Brand partnerships, remaining unique, and aligning purpose with profits
44:37 Innovations to watch, the blue carbon space, and staying optimistic
49:20 Leaving a legacy and where to learn more
51:57 End credits

If you liked this, listen next to our episode with Jasmine Crowe-Houston of Goodr on Being A Voice For Hunger And Why Food Waste Is All About Logistics.