Vancouver-based Sea to Sky Removal (S2SR) has won the Small Business BC (British Columbia) Award for Best Concept during a gala at the Vancouver Convention Centre in late February 2018.
S2SR, operating through the Whistler and the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, has been recognized for its goal of changing the construction industry’s waste disposal practices and educating workers in the process.
“We want to create more awareness and conversation around construction industry waste, with the ultimate goal of diverting recyclable materials from landfills,” says Chris Arkell, a co-owner of the company along with his wife Cinci Csere. “When it comes to sustainability, the industry needs a nudge in the right direction.”
The company, which has been in business for about two years, was recognized with the Best Concept award from Small Business BC for providing tips to jobsite crews who are used to disposing of everything, including plastic, wood, cardboard, carpet, and stone, into a single container. To combat this, S2SR sets up recycling stations on construction sites and provides tutorials to workers.
“We take the material out of their hands and deliver it to the end markets,” Arkell comments.
Small Business BC recognized S2SR for being what it calls the first hauling company in Canada to implement such recycling stations on construction sites to make the sorting of recyclables easier, ideally maximizing what can be recycled.
The company also provides photo documentation and diversion percentage reports for Built Green and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects, which allow contractors to know exactly where their materials end up. As an added incentive, S2SR donates reusable items to non-profits like Habitat for Humanity.
Arkell says the feedback the company is receiving from its clients has been excellent. “They love it. They can then pass on the information to their clients.”
According to the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA), the value of proposed construction projects in the province is CD$329 billion ($251 billion). However, only 75 percent of the construction industry’s discarded materials — 1.5 million metric tons annually in the Lower Mainland — is recycled.
Currently, S2SR crews hand sort and load all materials. Arkell says while the company does not do any automated processing of material, it is looking at adding such capacity in the future. The company also is considering expanding its operations to other cities in western Canada.
The five-month long competition to win the award began in October 2017, when more than 600 small businesses from 61 communities in British Columbia were nominated.