TAKING THE LEAD IN GREEN
Here’s a look at Canadian companies at the forefront of a circular economy — reducing waste and pollution while also booking revenues.
Second Harvest
At 31 years old, Second Harvest was one of Canada’s earliest participants in the circular economy. Volunteers collect leftover food from area restaurants, retailers and caterers, and deliver them to 210 charitable organizations. The program, which started with six restaurants, has grown to the point that it will rescue 10 million pounds of food this year that would otherwise become garbage, said Lori Nikkel, director of programs and partnerships.
Biox
The Hamilton company turns animal fat and vegetable oil waste into fuel — diverting waste and also reducing pollution by replacing dirtier fossil fuels. The plant, situated among the city’s steel mills, can process about 67 million litres of biodiesel a year. It takes the glycerine molecule out of the recovered oils and replaces it with methane to facilitate the combustion process in vehicle engines. CEO Alan Rickard says government initiatives have been key in encouraging firms to switch to biodiesel.
Enterra Feed Corp.
Enterra Feed takes organic waste from supermarkets and feeds it to black soldier fly larvae, which are then used to feed animals. Any organic waste is transformed into a fertilizer. The company was founded in 2007 with the help of David Suzuki. A fishing trip with Canada’s most famous ecologist and Enterra CEO Brad Marchant led to talks about a potential solution for how fish meal — traditionally made up of small fish — has led to overfishing in some parts of the world.
WaterFarmers Aquaponics
Toronto-based WaterFarmers Aquaponics harvests fish that help grow produce in a greenhouse. They raise tilapia and trout, the waste from which is put through a series of filters and the nutrients go into grow beds for plants such as salad greens or bok choy. The water is then returned to the fish tanks and circulated from tank to grow bed about once an hour. It requires just 10 per cent of the water used in traditional soil-based agriculture and takes up a considerably smaller surface area. Frogbox Frogbox Inc. delivers reusable moving boxes and supplies to your doorstep and picks them up when you’re done. That might be why its slogan is “from one pad to another.” The successful 2011
Dragon’s Den venture — backed by two dragons — has been expanding across the country. It now has 17 franchises from Victoria to St. John’s. President Phil Harbut describes what they do as a “closed loop,” so saying they’re part of the circular economy makes a lot of sense.