A new partnership will enable Habitat for Humanity's Nanaimo ReStore to broaden its services. Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island is teaming with Light House and its building material exchange program as well as the Regional District of Nanaimo to expand its environmentally conscious second-hand store on Mostar Road. The move is expected to streamline store operations, making it "easier for contractors, trades, and suppliers to donate used or excess construction materials," a press release stated, assisting diversion of waste from the Cedar landfill and putting items "back into circulation for homeowners, do-it-yourselfers and community builders." Light House, which has a goal to further "regenerative built environments," hopes the expansion will help build a circular economy for building materials on Vancouver Island. Gil Yaron, Light House managing director of circular innovation, said tonnes of building materials are dumped at Vancouver Island landfills and while the construction industry want to lessen this, there isn't always "space or resources." "The new expanded ReStore makes reuse practical, accessible, and scalable," he said in the press release. "Industry and the public now have access to a centralized location on Vancouver Island to donate and shop for quality construction materials at a fraction of the cost of buying new.” The ReStore will initiate a weekly pickup service to collect excess and leftover materials directly from construction sites across the region, the press release stated, and is aimed at making donation easy and predictable for busy contractors and trades workers. On-demand pickup will also be available. In addition, the building material exchange will offer a free online "business-to-business platform" allowing those in the construction industry to detail or seek re-sourced or excess construction items from across central Vancouver Island. The partnership will be beneficial to ReStore customers, said Trevor Coyle, Habitat Mid-Vancouver Island CEO, in the press release. “With this expansion, we’re going to be able to support even more families – they will have access to donated construction materials at affordable prices, which will help build their future," he said. "The ongoing operation will also support long-term diversion goals for the construction sector and the creation of a circular economy on Vancouver Island.”
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