November 6, 2024

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Elevating Home Design Standards

Building material exchange program launched on Vancouver Island

Building material exchange program launched on Vancouver Island

Ontario Construction News staff writer

Light House, an organization dedicated to promoting circular practices in the built environment, has launched the Building Material Exchange program (BMEx) on Vancouver Island.

The BMEx initiative aims to minimize waste management costs and reduce the volume of valuable construction materials that end up in landfills.

Businesses in and around Nanaimo, Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Duncan, and the surrounding islands with surplus, unused, or salvaged building materials will be matched with others in need of affordable, high-quality local resources.

Participation is free and is supported by funding from the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Zero Waste Recycling Fund, the Capital Regional District, and the Cowichan Valley Regional District.

“BMEx is designed for any business in South or Central Vancouver Island that has excess building or design materials,” said Gil Yaron, managing director of Circular Innovation at Light House. “We aim to connect these businesses with local organizations seeking cost-effective materials. By facilitating these connections, we can reduce landfill costs while providing paired businesses access to quality raw materials at a fraction of the cost of virgin materials. We’re excited about the positive environmental impact BMEx is set to create.”

The program will accept a wide range of materials, including concrete, aggregates, asphalt, metal, wood, glass, carpet, doors, flooring, drywall, and fixtures.

Businesses in South and Central Vancouver Island interested in learning more about BMEx are encouraged to participate in the BMEx Challenge events scheduled for November in Victoria and Nanaimo. These events are free to attend and are sponsored by Coast Capital Savings.

At the BMEx Challenge, eight businesses will pitch their challenges related to integrating circular economy principles into their operations or products. Participating companies will receive expert coaching from Spring, a global incubator and advisory firm, before presenting to an audience of local community members, investors, and innovators. Following the pitches, there will be networking opportunities aimed at fostering potential collaborations.

“The BMEx Challenge events will function like Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank but with a focus on circularity,” Yaron explained. “The audience can suggest solutions for unwanted materials and have the chance to meet one-on-one with pitching companies to explore partnerships.”

Szolyd president Trevor Harmon plans to showcase the company’s development of mass timber accessories made from reused building materials, which aim to lower costs in mass timber construction while enhancing the product’s CO2e impact. Harmon hopes to connect with funding partners to support the next phase of their business.

In Nanaimo, Habitat for Humanity Mid Vancouver Island executive director Jeff Kraft will pitch his vision for a physical hub to receive and resell excess and salvaged building materials. The Material Exchange Hub will broaden Habitat’s offerings to include a comprehensive range of building materials, helping to fill a gap for those looking to offload surplus items.

At the Challenge, Habitat seeks to engage local contractors interested in donating excess materials from job sites.

For businesses interested in sustainability and resource efficiency, the BMEx program represents a significant opportunity to enhance operations while contributing to a circular economy on Vancouver Island.

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