A new online marketplace, Building Material Exchange (BMEx) Marketplace, has launched on Vancouver Island to promote a “circular economy” by allowing construction, manufacturing, and demolition businesses to exchange used or excess materials. The free website, built on Rheaply’s reuse platform, enables businesses to list, sell, and acquire surplus materials such as concrete, wood, metal, and more. This initiative aims to reduce waste, which comprised 22.7% of the trash sent to Vancouver Island’s Hartland Landfill in 2021.
The marketplace is promoted and financially supported by local governments and organizations, including the Capital Regional District and Light House, a Vancouver-based organization dedicated to sustainability. The platform is similar to Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
Co-founder Kris Hansen of Hansenbuilt Design says the platform will help minimize his company’s environmental impact by allowing them to list extra materials and reuse usable goods. A physical hub is also planned to launch in Nanaimo this spring, where contractors can bring unneeded materials for public use. The BMEx program is an example of a circular economy, which seeks to reduce waste and promote sustainability in a finite-resource environment, a shift from the traditional “take-make-waste” model.