BRIQUE RECYC and Architecture Without Borders Québec (AWBQ) are launching a platform to help Montréal property owners and residents participate in building decarbonization efforts and enable the recovery and reuse of bricks in residential and commercial renovation projects in the city.
The platform, called WEB-RECYC, is part of a circular economy approach in the construction industry.
The new platform connects offers and demands for used bricks, and allows individuals to donate bricks as opposed to throwing them away during demolitions. It also facilitates the purchase of quality bricks at affordable prices.
The initiative is financially supported by the Government of Québec’s Fonds d’initiative et de rayonnement de la métropole (FIRM) and is made possible through a process developed by BRIQUE RECYC.
Brick donors receive a turnkey service from the company as a result.
BRIQUE RECYC has made it possible to rehabilitate used bricks at a high-volume cleaning site that uses containers that have been designed for dismantling operations and transportation.
Since construction, renovation, and demolition sectors generate 41 per cent of Québec’s residual waste, WEB-RECYC will contribute to reducing the sector’s environmental footprint by diverting thousands of bricks from landfills on an annual basis.
Donors and buyers will also be able to measure the environmental impact of their actions through the integrated impact calculator within the platform.
Property owners will also be able to offer brick donations on the platform prior to starting their construction work.
Owners who donate $500 or more worth of materials to ASFQ will also receive a charitable tax receipt intended to compensate them for part of the costs associated with brick dismantling, recovery, and transportation.
“The City of Montréal is delighted to support Architecture Without Borders and BRIQUE RECYC, whose partnership is a concrete example of the innovation that can result from strong collaboration. The WEB-RECYC application contributes to making Montréal a leader in the circular economy and ecological transition, as it will enable Montréalers to maximize brick reuse during renovation work. This is a significant step forward, and we are very proud to be the first city in Québec and Canada to benefit from this service, which we hope will soon inspire other cities,” said Marie-Andrée Mauger, who heads the executive committee for ecological transition and the environment at the City of Montréal.