Light House, an organization focused on advancing circular practices in the built environment, has announced the launch of the Building Material Exchange program. BMEx was created to help reduce waste management costs and the amount of valuable construction materials that end up in landfills.聽Businesses in and around Nanaimo, Victoria, Cowichan Valley, Duncan and the surrounding islands with excess, unused, or salvaged building and/or design-related materials are matched through the BMEx program with others in need of affordable, high-quality, local resources to begin or complete projects.聽The program is free to聽sign up聽and participate in and is funded by the Regional District of Nanaimo鈥檚 Zero Waste Recycling Fund, the Capital Regional District, and the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
鈥淏MEx is for any business in South or Central Vancouver Island that has a surplus of building or design-related materials they don鈥檛 need,鈥� said Gil Yaron, Managing Director, Circular Innovation, Light House. 鈥淭heir perfect match is out there 鈥� a local business or organization that is seeking more affordable materials. Through BMEx, we鈥檙e making these connections possible while reducing landfill costs and creating an opportunity for paired businesses to get their hands on high-quality, raw materials for a fraction of virgin material costs. We are excited for the connections that will be made and the positive environmental impact we expect BMEx will have.鈥� Materials accepted through the BMEx program include, but are not limited to: concrete, aggregates, asphalt, metal, wood, glass, carpet, doors, flooring, drywall, and fixtures.
South and Central Vancouver Island businesses that are interested in learning more about BMEx or who would like to get involved, are invited to attend and/or actively participate in BMEx Challenge events in Victoria and Nanaimo this November. Both BMEx Challenge events are free to attend and are presented by Coast Capital Savings.聽There will be an opportunity for聽eight聽businesses to pitch to an audience of local community members, investors, and innovators about a challenge they are facing as incorporating circular economic principles into their operations or products.聽Participating businesses must apply to pitch their idea and will receive expert pitch coaching from聽Spring, a global incubator, accelerator, and advisory. At the Challenge events, the聽audience will offer potential solutions and networking opportunities will follow.聽鈥淭he BMEx Challenge events will be similar to Dragon鈥檚 Den or Shark Tank, but with a focus on circularity,鈥� said Yaron. 鈥淭he audience can offer up possible solutions to unwanted materials, and they are also invited to meet one-on-one with the pitching companies to establish partnerships.鈥�