Now, thanks to a new partnership agreement, IZWTAG will formally administer the First Nations Recycling Initiative. It’s an outreach and recycling program run by BC’s Stewardship Agencies of BC, a coalition of EPR organizations. The initiative raises awareness of BC’s EPR programs and supports local collection and recycling events for EPR-eligible items like electronics, large appliances and household hazardous waste.

In honour of Earth Day we speak with Maja Rusinowska of Recycle BC about how to maximize our recycling efforts to better reduce waste.

The 2025 Hometown Heroes Lottery just launched and one of the nine grand prize homes is located in Courtenay. Found at 3235 Winchester Avenue, Courtenay, in the Crown Isle neighbourhood and developed by Integra Homes. The prize home is worth over $2.5 million, is a 2,666 sq. ft home and has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a two car garage.

Interchange Recycling, a not-for-profit organization that collects and recycles used motor oil, oil filters, oil containers, used antifreeze and antifreeze containers, is expanding to Yukon, starting August 1, 2025. This marks Interchange Recycling’s first expansion beyond British Columbia, bringing its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program to a new jurisdiction. 

Landfilled wood is a big part of Canada’s construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) waste problem. The average lifespan of a building in Canada is around 70 years before it is demolished, and in rapidly densifying cities, the actual lifespan can be much shorter. Wood waste makes up 40 per cent of CRD waste; nationally, this means that about 10 per cent of all residual solid waste is wood waste. This equates to approximately 3.6 million tons of wood being landfilled each year.

ThinkLabs AI has launched a specialized physics-informed AI Agent that provides utilities with immediate, data-driven accurate insights into electric power distribution networks. This new distribution system state estimation (DSSE) solution bridges visibility gaps in grid operational performance, offering utilities situational awareness and intelligent control. By estimating grid conditions, ThinkLabs AI Agent may help prevent grid congestions, integrate variable resources, and enhance operational safety and reliability.

Light House, an organization focused on advancing circular practices in the built environment, has launched the Building Material Exchange Marketplace (BMEx Marketplace).

The free online business-to-business marketplace allows businesses across Vancouver Island to list and acquire excess and salvaged building and/or design-related materials from reliable, local sources, explains a release.

Grand Forks is getting a bigger and better drop-off site for motor oil and other used automotive fluids. Interchange Recycling, announced the Bottle Depot at 8058 Donaldson Dr., has received new recycling infrastructure in the form of a 20 foot sea container with a 2,200 litre tank to store materials. 

Save-On-Foods has made a $15 million donation to BC Children’s Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the largest mental health donation in their histories.

Homes in Kelowna, West Kelowna, and Big White are among the grand prizes available in the 2025 Choices Lottery, in supports of the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.