Vancouver’s landfill use highlights the need to find ways to improve the city’s waste disposal system, experts say.
And innovation from regional startups may be able to help.
However, one major hurdles for companies aiming to commercialize and scale up their technology is a need for industrial space to demonstrate solutions.
The City of Vancouver is now working with the Vancouver Economic Commission in a bid to address both of these problems.
A new “Zero Waste Demonstration Site” will showcase functional solutions to help the city reach its bold aim of becoming zero-waste by 2040.
The site will help companies commercialize their technology and connect with investors, partners, and clients, according to the City.
Nine BC-based companies will be given a chance to pilot technology and process waste streams.
Their approaches will range from changing plant residues into usable bio-products to re-manufacturing wood, clothing textiles, and food waste.
The companies selected are:
Sepura Home, which secured seed capital this year, has developed a composting disposal device to replace the standard composting bin. It functions as a food waste separator attached to a sink that diverts food scraps from landfills, sending only liquids down the drain.
Mosa Technologies aims to address the environmental impact of wasted glass. Only 24% of glass bottles are recycled in BC, but Mosa can turns this waste into sustainable glassware.
Circularity B.V. aims to produce 100% circular clothing from pre- and post-consumer textile waste with an ability to go from “shred to thread” using a variety of cotton-polyester compositions.
Takachar wants to increase the amount of plant residues that can be economically converted into useful bioproducts. The company aims to develop small-scale, low-cost, portable systems that will create a revenue stream from biomass.
Can-Do! Green Technologies has a mission is to give new life to wood waste by up-cycling it into new dimensional lumber under the brand Urbanjacks. Through a re-materialization process, they help reduce the costs and amount of material that ends up in landfills and promote the use of renewable resources.
Perk Eco collects and upcycles, recycles, or composts coffee industry waste materials from any Canadian postal code. Perk offers solutions to coffee shops to sort and recycle cups and other products.
Regenerative Waste Labs is a circular economy research consulting firm and testing lab with a goal to help companies regenerate waste into healthy, sustainable products as well as work with regulators to shape policies and standards that foster a circular bio-economy.
CTK Bio is a Canadian cleantech company offering plastics pollution solutions. It is part of conglomerate Cosmetics Technology Korea, which has nearly 300 patents
Swift Eco-Waste Management is working to develop and enhance technologies that convert organic waste, including sanitary wastewater and cannabis waste, into high-value product such as pelletized fuel. The company’s technology includes blenders, a digester tank, a heat exchanger and deodorizer, and pellet machine.
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