New initiative encourages innovation around recycling of construction waste

Ontario Construction News staff writer

The City of Guelph and County of Wellington are looking for a solution to the problem of what to do with construction and demolition waste including concrete, drywall, cabinetry and lumber. Currently, construction waste makes up about a third of the waste sent to landfills across Canada every year.

The Circular Opportunity Innovation Launchpad’s (COIL) newest challenge is to find solutions for on-site separation and recycling of construction waste.

Bid #22-118 is available on Guelph’s bids opportunity website for more information including the tender package and bid information. All bids are due by 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 5, 2022.

While Guelph’s Waste Resource Innovation Centre now offers recycling programs for concrete/brick/rubble/porcelain, asphalt shingles, clean wood and gypsum drywall, construction waste is currently placed in a single dumpster, meaning virtually none of these materials are reclaimed or recycled.

construction wasteThat’s why COIL has launched a challenged to find a local business or innovator interested in developing a new model to support onsite source separation, alternative waste hauling methods or another innovative idea to divert CRD materials.

One winner will be selected and awarded $15,000 to pilot their new system in collaboration with the Smart Cities Office and the city’s Solid Waste Resources department.

The challenge is being supported by Co-operators as part of its funding to support a circular economy.

“For the last nine years, our claims team at Co-operators has been actively working to divert materials from property claims away from landfills and back into the economy to make our communities

more sustainable and resilient,” says Tom Ewart, associate vice president, sustainability. “We’re delighted to take our efforts to the next level with COIL and are excited to see this Civic Innovation Challenge launched.”

COIL’s Zero Waste Economic Transformation Lab was launched in January 2022 with the goal of expanding Guelph-Wellington’s circular economy work to new sectors beyond food.

As the lab’s founding corporate supporter, Co-operators has pledged a $350,000 investment to establish the lab and fund its first project to divert construction, renovation and demolition materials from landfill.

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