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BuildSmart - Sustainable Buildings Solutions
BuildSmart
is a program developed and administered by Metro Vancouver to encourage the use
of green building strategies and technologies.
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| Home Renovation Waste Reduction and Recycling Pilot Project | Are you a renovation contractor in the region who has an upcoming home renovation project? Do you know a renovation contractor in Metro Vancouver eager to take on the task of recycling champion? We are inviting all residential renovation contractors to submit an application to participate in a Metro Vancouver-sponsored waste reduction and recycling pilot on a home renovation project. The project should commence in the fall of 2009, and all interested contrators are asked to submit a short application (see below) to be considered in this exciting new initiative to reduce demolition and construction waste on the residential jobsite. Background, Benefits & Selection CriteriaAs part of the Zero Waste Challenge, Metro Vancouver's goal is to work with businesses in the region to reduce and recycle waste at construction and demolition sites. It has been estimated that wood waste (everything from land clearing waste to wood shingles to hardwood flooring) makes up 15% (about 240,000 tonnes) of Metro Vancouver waste. Much of this waste is generated from the demolition and renovation of residential buildings; about 48% of waste generated (by weight) from the construction and demolition sectors.
Metro Vancouver is interested in working with renovation contractors to reduce the amount of waste going to disposal from the renovation of wood frame buildings. Several factors contribute to the low waste diversion rates from this sector; lack of services and information are two of them. To better understand all the barriers and challenges renovation contractors face, we developed a survey to determine the factors that hinder contractors from reducing waste on home renovation projects and potential measures that would encourage them to reduce waste and recycle more on their job sites.
Information from this survey will help us design and test a new waste collection system that would facilitate sorting of recyclables and waste on residential renovation projects. It will also guide the design of educational and information materials specific to the needs of the sector. | Home Renovation Material Recycling Depot Trial Project | Duration: August 3rd, 2009 to September 30, 2009
The premise of the project is to provide a convenient and safe location for residents performing home renovation work to take back waste wood at retail outlets. For the purposes of this project, the Home Depot store in Coquitlam, BC will be used for the trial installation.
This project is initiated for research purposes and will only be on trial for a limited period of time (2 months) in order to determine if this is a good approach for managing recyclable wood. Metro Vancouver will be evaluating the operations of the depot in terms of simplicity, safety, cost and overall popularity with the customers. Metro Vancouver will administer a survey to clients using the depot to evaluate their satisfaction and to record their comments (pros & cons). Ultimately, success will be determined by how well residents use this service.
This project targets wood, one of the key waste categories identified in the Zero Waste Challenge and it is anticipated that the data gathered during this trial will provide staff with valuable information to further the initiatives to improve wood waste diversion.
| Wood Waste Symposium | On June 2nd and 3rd Metro Vancouver convened close to 100 stakeholders along the wood waste value chain, to strategize ways to increase wood waste diversion rates in the region and explore pathways to greater market uptake of diverted products. Symposium participants came from a range of sectors including: construction and demolition businesses, wood waste management and end-user companies, industry associations, NGOs and government. The one-and-a-half day event consisted of a combination of panel presentations and break-out group sessions. The first day focused on identifying barriers that currently prevent more diversion of wood waste from disposal and market uptake of diverted wood waste; and the second day centred on the finding the most effective approaches and actions needed to address key barriers.
A report summarizing outcomes of the symposium will be compiled and posted here soon.
Presentations:
- Lessons Learned from Elsewhere: Alameda County, California has a waste diversion goal of 75% by 2010. To achieve that goal, Stop Waste has an aggressive recycling and reuse plan including for wood waste. Participants heard directly from Stop Waste about the lessons learned along the road to their waste diversion goals.
Tom Padia, Recycling Director, Stop Waste.org, Oakland, CA
- Producer Responsibility and Forest Products: Where is Canada’s industry heading? The Canadian forest industry has faced formidable challenges including the softwood lumber dispute, the mountain pine beetle, new forms of media and of course the recent economic turmoil and collapse of the US housing market. Yet through it all, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) has remained a leader among Canadian industry in its commitment to more sustainable operations. Participants heard directly from FPAC’s Vice President of Climate Change on why the sustainability agenda remains a key element of their business plan and what role the diversion of wood waste plays in their overall efforts.
Mark Hubert, Vice President, Climate Change Leadership, Forest Products Association of Canada
- Snapshot of Current DLC Waste Situation in Metro Vancouver: Metro Vancouver recently commissioned a report by Promise Consulting on the Wood Waste Management Capacity in the Metro Vancouver market. Attendees heard a preview of the report and highlights on the current wood waste situation, along with public policy options currently being considered by Metro Vancouver for meeting its wood waste diversion goals.
Simon Penney, Promise Consulting Inc (Canada) and Andrew Marr, Senior Engineer, Metro Vancouver
- Panel on the Barriers to Greater Market Uptake/Demand for DLC Wood Waste: Participants heard from companies along the wood waste value chain about the main challenges and barriers they face to greater construction and demolition industry diversion and market uptake of wood waste.
Corinne Fulton, General Manager, 3R Demolition
Robert Capar, Owner, Maison d’ Etre
Richard Babcock, Urban Wood Waste Recyclers
Peter Moonen, Sustainability and Special Projects Coordinator, Canadian Wood Council
Randy Gue, Director of Business Development and Resource Recovery, Lafarge Cement
- Pathways to Greater Diversion and Market Demand: The desire for greater wood waste diversion has led to voluntary, regulatory, and market-based approaches — or a combination of all three — in jurisdictions around the globe. New technologies are creating new markets for wood waste, but what are the conditions that must be met for these to flourish? Participants heard about the possibilities from around the globe and their applications for Metro Vancouver.
Lisa Skumatz, Principal, Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Colorado
David Dougherty, President, Dougherty Group LLC, Seattle
Michael Weedon, Executive Director, BC Bioenergy Network | Design Considerations for the Implementation of Green Roofs Report | This new Metro Vancouver report has been developed to provide background information and data to assist regional municipalities and developers in understanding the benefits, issues and costs associated with green roof installations and to provide guidance on where research and the green roof business are headed in the near future. | Demolition, Land Clearing & Construction Waste Management Toolkit | Metro Vancouver's Demolition, Land Clearing and Construction (DLC) Waste Management Toolkit is a reference guide for contractors, design professionals and building owners, to help them maximize the amount of construction and demolition waste diverted from disposal through salvage, reuse and recycling. The toolkit is developed by Metro Vancouver's Sustainable Business Services as part of its BuildSmart program. |
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CitiesAlive 2010 - Green Roof and Green Wall Conference | Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and BCIT are hosting the 8th Annual Green Roof and Green Wall Conference in Vancouver from November 30 - December 3, 2010. It is expected to bring 1000 delegates to Vancouver from around the world to discuss the latest research, policy and technical advances in the rapidly growing green roof and green wall industries. | Funding Your Community Energy and Climate Change Initiatives July 2010 | The Community Energy Association is pleased to announce the July 2010 update to Funding Your Community Energy and Climate Change Initiatives. This guide provides information on over 60 funding programs and resources that provide financial and educational support to BC local government energy and climate change initiatives. These programs address a broad range of initiatives related to buildings, infrastructure, renewable energy and transportation. | Living City Design Competition | The International Living Building Institute, in partnership with the national Trust for Historic Preservation, invites the world's most talented and daring designers, planners, artists and animators to create a new global vision: a breathtaking, compelling model for the future of civilization.
The premise is to take any city ion the world and envision what it will look like in 2035 by implementing sustainability principles in every future step of development. It is intended to provide a vision of how to get from A to B using technology that exists today (if only in prototype).
Submission due date is February 1, 2011. | Smart Growth BC Goes National | Smart Growth BC has announced that its programs and brand have been acquired by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).
This announcement heralds the beginning of a national approach to supporting a Smart Growth Canada Program that combines the provincial success of Smart Growth BC with the national network of CaGBC. Smart Growth BC has helped the Province to lead Canada in the adoption of better urban development practices and will now be a significant component to support smart growth from coast to coast by the CaGBC.
“After a decade of working on the ground with British Columbia communities, we are thrilled to see this experience being leveraged into a national program,” said outgoing Smart Growth BC Executive Director, Cam Brewer.
With today’s announcement, CaGBC will establish a steering committee to guide the delivery of a national program. The Smart Growth products include a range of green building and community development tools applicable at the scale of an entire city, region, neighbourhood or smaller community, as well as the individual building.
Following on the success of their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, and the introduction of the LEED for Neighbourhood Development in early 2011, CaGBC will incorporate the established smart growth programs into an integrated set of offerings for buildings and communities.
“Sustainable urban development requires holistic thinking, and our national smart growth program will support Canadian municipalities in doing so. Whether the starting point is an individual building or an entire region, the Council is well positioned with today’s announcement to offer robust solutions for communities pursuing sustainability and green building,” said CaGBC President and CEO, Thomas Mueller.
Media contacts:
Cam Brewer
Smart Growth BC
778-839-0019
Stella Baise
Canada Green Building Council
604-282-7791
| Green Home Renovation Guides Released | Light House recently helped the City of Vancouver develop a series of Green Home Renovation Guides. The series covers common remodeling topics, giving helpful hints on materials and strategies to create a home that's healthy, saves money, and is easy on the environment. Beginning fall 2010, the City of Vancouver is requiring green design and energy efficiency upgrades for all renovations. This series of guides is a resource to help you meet the new requirements and choose green design strategies that best suit your renovation project. | New International Code for Green Construction Launched | The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) was announced this week. The IGCC is intended to provide the building industry with language that both broadens and strengthens building codes in a way that will accelerate the construction of high-performance green buildings ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is a jurisdictional compliance option of the code. The IGCC is a joint effort for ASHRAE, the International Code Council (ICC), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). | The Challenge Series - Millennium Water - Vancouver's Olympic Village | The Challenge Series tells the story of Vancouver's Olympic Village at Southeast False Creek: Millennium Water. Published in eight monthly installments, available on the web and in print, it focuses on the visioning, planning, design and construction processes and celebrates collaboration and sustainable innovation.
The Challenge Series is a resource to educate and inspire communities, professionals, owners and builders seeking to create meaningful opportunities out of the challenges of climate change. | Light House Green Building 101 Workshops for Stratas and Co-operatives | Two-thirds of Vancouver residents live in some kind of multi-family building. This can be anything from a duplex to a high-rise apartment. While a condo unit can be very efficient compared to a single family home, there are many easy and cost effective things that can be done to improve the performance and extend life of your building. Besides reducing your environmental impact, greening your condo or co-op unit has a number of other benefits including: savngs on your utility bills, improvements in occupant health, reductions in tenant turnover rates in rental buildings and unit marketability. Schedule your workshop today. |
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September 17, 2010 from
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sustainable Building Advisor Program - approved by USGBC's Education Provider Unique & comprehensive sustainable building curriculum geared toward working professionals, only 2 classroom days per month, instruction by local professionals, on-site inspections of buildings, certification CSBA - Certified Sustainable Building Advisor.  more ...
| November 15, 2010 from
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Building SustainAble Communities 2010 Conference Four day conference with a variety of community sustainability plenaries, breakouts, panels, debates and workshops. more ...
| November 23, 2010 from
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Sustainabuild Conference Focuses on providing progressive information and showcasing materials and products for healthy and sustainable buildings of all types. more ...
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Fast Facts
BuildSmart is a program developed and
administered by the Metro Vancouver to encourage the use of green building
strategies and technologies. |
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