We know which of our materials and products are Truly Reclaimed for reuse, and which products are new, so our stock descriptions confirm this. Delighted to emphasize this distinction, we are validating all our eligible products with the Truly Reclaimed label.

Save natural resources and the carbon that’s embodied by selecting materials for your project that really are reclaimed for reuse.

400+

More than 400 products on BCA’s website

1%

Only 1% is the estimated reuse of building materials in NW Europe following their 1st use.

30+

Over 30 years truly reclaiming materials in France

Truly reclaimed explained :

We at BCA Antique Materials whole-heartedly support this Truly Reclaimed label initiative launched by UK’s SALVO organisation and the EC's Interreg NWE « Facilitating the Circulation of Reclaimed Building Elements in Northwestern Europe » (FCRBE). Please look into their initiatives. These links give important insight into the overall aims of the movement:
→ Truly Reclaimed label
→ Video explanation of FCRBE
→ FCRBE - Facilitating the circulation of reclaimed building elements in Northwestern Europe

These organisations carefully explain the aims, and how the Truly Reclaimed label indicates (with validation from the supplier such as BCA Matériaux Anciens) that the materials or individual products genuinely are reclaimed. This enables eco-friendly customers to purchase with confidence the reclaimed products they seek, thereby minimizing the risk of being misled into purchasing carefully faked « historic » products.

At BCA the authenticity of the various materials and products is known to us. We are experts in this field, and when possible the provenance is indicated. Clients do not hesitate to ask where materials originated from, and staff have always endeavoured to show as much transparency as possible. This has been the case since the late 20th century when BCA Matériaux Anciens was set up based on the selected demolition industry into which there are vital and ongoing links. BCA grew to became France’s first reclamation company with a stock website thanks to the first SALVOWEB portal, and are now France’s foremost truly reclaimed materials supplier. BCA’s product descriptions of those now labelled « Truly reclaimed » are being progressively updated with extra information about where they came from.

The logical reclamation for reuse of authentic materials for historic and quality architectural projects has always been the driving force for BCA and their clients, whether French or international. This remains to be the case, it being the market niche in which BCA excels. However in the context of fighting climate change by global warming the European reclamation sector is doing much more than saving then supplying historically and esthetically appropriate products. The reclamation trade has been helping diminish the requirement to produce new materials, consequently reducing emitted CO2 and the waste of the world’s natural resources.

However this necessity is far broader than the relatively small reclamation sector (comprised of companies mostly on a « small is beautiful » scale) and is of the utmost urgency. The Truly Reclaimed label is a vital step on the way to influencing and changing the methodology and business plans of the worldwide construction sector, which is supplied by building materials industries dominated by multi-nationals. Unfortunately they are collectively too slow to have taken the required initiatives themselves, but the tide is turning.

Our truly reclaimed products :