Construction Plastics Initiative Advances Sustainable Building Practices in Metro Vancouver

Light House, an organization focused on advancing circular practices in the built environment, and its Construction Plastics Initiative, which launched in 2024 to capture, divert and upcycle plastic waste from Metro Vancouver (Canada) construction sites, have added two new construction project partners — the Freedom Mobile Arch with general contractor EllisDon Corporation and the Steveston Community Centre with general contractor Scott Construction.

All plastic waste collected from projects involved in the Construction Plastics Initiative are processed by Langley Plastics into a reusable plastic pellet, which is then integrated into the manufacturing of a range of new building products. The Construction Plastics Initiative not only helps contractors reduce material use and embodied carbon, but it also prepares participating contractors for the federal government’s upcoming plastics registry reporting requirements in 2026.

“Partnering with the Construction Plastics Initiative on our Freedom Mobile Arch project is just one way we’re ensuring that sustainable practices persist at the heart of both our core values, as well as the venue’s redevelopment,” said Daniel Molnar, BC regional environmental manager with EllisDon.

“Once completed, the Freedom Mobile Arch will become a world-class venue, hosting our Summer Night Concerts, as well as a wide range of local, national and international music, arts and cultural events,” says Ming Tian, vice president of facilities, maintenance and master planning, PNE. “Our goal is to ensure that this iconic venue is enjoyed for generations to come, bringing together hundreds of thousands of guests annually.”

Scott Construction has joined the initiative with its 60,350-square-foot Steveston Community Centre and Library project in Richmond, with completion expected in 2026. “This is an initiative we’re proud to participate in, especially because it allows us to bring sustainable building practices to the forefront,” said Trenton Berger, project director, Scott Construction.

“Through our partnership with the Construction Plastics Initiative, we’re ensuring that we’re diverting and upcycling plastic construction waste that is generated in the development of the Steveston Community Centre, helping to reduce, divert and upcycle plastic in construction. This is an important step in responsible construction practices, where keeping materials recirculating in the economy is integral to how we build.”

The Construction Plastics Initiative is running until February 2026. To learn more, visit light-house.org/cpi.