News Summary

Light House, a Vancouver-based non-profit organization focused on advancing circular practices in the built environment, has introduced the Building Material Exchange Marketplace (BMEx Marketplace). This initiative, aimed at reducing waste management costs and minimizing construction material sent to landfills, is a free online business-to-business platform that allows companies across Vancouver Island to list and obtain surplus or salvaged building materials. Built on Rheaply, a B2B reuse platform, the BMEx Marketplace tracks diverted waste, cost savings, and carbon avoidance, enhancing tools like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. The marketplace is supported by various regional districts and the City of Nanaimo, encouraging local economic development and quality job creation. Ann Squires Ferguson, CEO of Western Design+Build, highlighted the marketplace’s potential to keep usable materials out of landfills and save on dumping costs. The success of BMEx relies on broad participation from the industry.