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Sea to Sky Removal wins Small Business BC Award for best concept

Environmentally-progressive waste hauler is the first company to implement recycling stations on lower mainland construction sites

Sea to Sky Removal (S2SR) has been awarded Best Concept at the 15th annual Small Business BC Awards. Operating throughout Whistler and the Lower Mainland, S2SR is the region's first waste disposal company to implement recycling stations on construction sites and provide tutorials. 

Run by husband-and-wife team Chris Arkell and Cinci Csere, the company is on a pioneering mission to change the construction industry's waste disposal practices, and educate workers in the process. They provide tips to crews who are used to tossing everything - plastic, wood, cardboard, carpet and stone - in a single trash bin. Photo documentation and diversion percentage reports for Built Green and LEED projects allow contractors to know exactly where their materials end up. The Recycling Council of British Columbia has officially recognized their work, so clients can collect green points on their builds. As an added incentive, S2SR donates reusable items to non-profits like Habitat for Humanity. 

"It's crazy to see what construction companies throw away," said Chris Arkell, owner of Sea to Sky Removal. "We want to create more awareness and conversation around construction industry waste, with the ultimate goal of diverting recyclable materials from landfills. When it comes to sustainability, the industry needs a nudge in the right direction." 

Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on February 24th, the gala celebrated the province's largest small business awards competition. The five-month long competition kicked off in October, when more than 600 small businesses from 61 communities across B.C. were nominated. Gala attendees included Minister for Jobs, Trade and Technology, Bruce Ralston. 

More than half of the construction materials that end up in landfills could be reused or recycled. S2SR crews hand-sort and hand-load all materials - a process called 'live-loading'. Approximately 300 pounds of recyclables can be diverted for each recycling service. 

STATISTICS 
• The value of proposed construction projects in BC is $329 billion, according to the BC Construction Association. 
• Only 75 per cent of the construction industry's waste - 1.5 million tonnes annually throughout the Lower Mainland - is recycled. 
• More than half of construction materials that end up in landfills could be reused or recycled.

Based in Squamish, B.C., Sea to Sky Removal is the Lower Mainland's first waste hauler to implement recycling stations on construction sites. They provide recycling tutorials, photo documentation and diversion percentage reports for Built Green and LEED projects, so contractors know exactly where materials end up. The Recycling Council of British Columbia has officially recognized their work, so clients can collect green points on their builds.

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