NZWC - What We're Doing

What We're Doing

Moving Waste Prevention and a Circular Built Environment Forward

A shift in policies and practices away from the linear take-make-dispose economy is critical. The National Zero Waste Council works with government and industry to encourage waste prevention and circular strategies through knowledge transfer, and expanding networks to implement solutions.

To this end, the Council is collaborating with Circular Economy Leadership Canada (CELC) to advance recommendations found in the circular built environment framework for future action, and supporting the CELC-hosted cross-sector Circular Construction Knowledge Hub.

Feature:

A 2024 collaboration between the National Zero Waste Council – Built Environment Working Group, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology – Sustainable Business Leadership Program invited students to respond to the challenge of circular solutions to wood waste. The final report was shared amongst government and industry.

Material Innovation and Wood Waste

Wood waste is one of the most abundant types of built environment waste disposed of in Canada. Yet, many kinds of wasted wood hold significant value and can be upcycled for new uses.

Policy changes, advances in industry practices, and diversion at end-of-life are required. For example, clean wood, which is wood untreated by chemicals, paint, or other coatings, can often be used in new buildings or for new products such as furniture. Engineered wood, including particleboard, manufactured plywood, and medium-density fibreboard, also have markets for reuse. Painted and treated wood or engineered wood waste can be used for alternative fuel applications further down the waste hierarchy.

In a recent National Zero Waste Council collaboration with the University of British Columbia, contaminated wood waste was collected and experimented with to explore whether a new material with market potential could be developed. Watch the video below for the results.

Innovating with materials, and upcycling, are circular economy strategies that can successfully prevent and reduce waste.

Deconstruction

Deconstruction Over Demolition

Deconstruction is an innovative approach being used to greatly reduce waste. Following the removal of hazardous materials and the salvage of certain materials, the typical demolition process uses heavy machinery to knock down a building, destroying it during the process. What remains is collected and typically hauled to the landfill. A growing trend replaces demolition with deconstruction in which buildings are systematically taken apart, so materials are kept intact and separated, making them easier to reuse and recycle.

Deconstruction provides an opportunity to salvage old growth lumber from the built environment. Experience indicates that deconstruction can divert at least 80 percent of a building’s materials from disposal.

CONSISTENCY BUILDS CONFIDENCE

Solving the Asphalt Problem

Asphalt is another major contributor to CRD waste across Canada. Fortunately, used asphalt does not have to go to the landfill. It can be reprocessed into a new asphalt product called Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP). The CRD working group has assembled a Recycled Asphalt Paving sub-committee to focus on the greater use of RAP to divert waste from landfills and reduce the use of virgin materials. In 2021, the working group published an online RAP Toolkit with resources to learn about RAP and how its use can be increased across Canada. The working group is continuing to engage with stakeholders to promote a better understanding and utilization of recycled asphalt across Canada.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Moving Waste Prevention and a Circular Built Environment Forward