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Change Builders | Building Material Exchange (BMX) and the future of circular construction on Vancouver Island

In this episode of Change Builders, we sat down with Ava Campbell, Circular Impact Lead at Lighthouse, to talk about a topic that’s gaining momentum across the construction sector: making building material reuse easy, affordable, and realistic.

Lighthouse is a Vancouver-based non-profit working nationally (and heavily in BC) to reduce carbon and waste in the built environment. With several active projects on Vancouver Island, their work is showing what’s possible when diversion and reuse are built into the way we plan and deliver construction.

Ava’s focus at Lighthouse is the Building Material Exchange Program — BMX (and yes, she confirmed: they’re not selling bikes).

What is BMX, and why does it matter?

BMX is a reuse program designed for construction and demolition, with one clear goal: make reuse in construction accessible and cost-neutral (or even cost-effective) for businesses.

Instead of good materials going straight into a bin and then to landfill, BMX helps connect contractors and companies with practical ways to donate, reuse, sell, or re-home surplus and salvage materials.

This matters for two reasons:

• Environmental impact: keeping usable materials out of landfill reduces waste and embodied carbon.
• Community benefit: when materials are donated through partners like Habitat for Humanity ReStore, the proceeds help fund housing projects and reinvest directly back into the community.

ReStore + job sites: small change, big impact

Ava and the Change Builders host reflected on a recent early-morning breakfast meeting in Nanaimo at the Habitat ReStore, a gathering aimed at helping builders better understand what materials can be donated and how simple the process can be.

Those in-person events, Ava shared, are proving to be one of the most effective ways to build awareness and participation.

“It’s a small change from a job site, instead of putting something into a bin, putting it aside for Habitat to pick up,” she explained. That small shift can mean reusable materials get a second life, contractors may receive tax receipts, and companies can be recognized for keeping valuable resources out of landfill.

Why Ava took on this work

Ava has been with Lighthouse for about two years, and BMX has been her focus from day one. With a background in communications, marketing, and engagement, she’s found that the success of reuse programs often comes down to what she does best: connecting with people and making the process clear.

A big part of her work is outreach calls, emails, and candid conversations with builders and contractors about real-world barriers:

• limited time on site
• lack of team capacity
• uncertainty about sorting or storage 
• not knowing what’s worth saving
  
  

That’s where Lighthouse can step in as third-party support, including on-the-ground help on Vancouver Island for sorting, inventorying, and managing surplus or salvage materials.

But beyond the logistics, Ava is also motivated by the bigger picture: watching industries shift over time.

“It’s sometimes really challenging work,” she said, “but it’s rewarding.”

Surplus vs. salvage: what’s showing up most?

When asked what types of materials BMX is seeing most right now, Ava’s answer was simple: it depends — because BMX supports multiple parts of the industry:

Surplus materials

Often coming from manufacturers or shops (like millwork facilities or cabinetry production), surplus materials can include high-quality items sitting in storage “just in case.”

Ava shared an example of a company holding tens of thousands of dollars worth of surplus lumber — still in excellent condition, well stored, and highly reusable — but without the time or process to move it along.

That’s the space BMX is built for: helping companies avoid landfill while finding buyers or recipients who can use what’s already available.

Salvage materials

On the salvage side, renovation, deconstruction, and demolition projects can generate huge volumes of reusable materials and by weight and volume, demolition waste is a major contributor.

Depending on the project type, BMX might see more salvage flow, especially where deconstruction or careful removal is possible.

The biggest misconception about reuse

One of the most helpful insights came from a conversation Ava had the same day with a contractor who champions reuse — but has also worked with plenty of partners who don’t prioritize it.

The misconception isn’t that reuse is complicated.

The challenge, he said, is clarity and communication.

Reuse succeeds when:

• the project sets a diversion/reuse goal early
• there’s a clear strategy for how materials will be handled
• the process is communicated to the full team
• reinforcement happens day-to-day on site

In other words: the barrier isn’t “we can’t do it.” The barrier is usually “we didn’t plan for it.”

What’s next for BMX in 2026 and beyond?

Ava shared two major areas of opportunity over the next few years — one immediate and one longer-term:

1) Habitat-branded bin service (starting Nanaimo area)

Lighthouse is working toward launching Habitat-branded bins for contractors, with clear instructions focused on specific reusable materials (such as clean wood).

The goal is for this to be:

• comparable in cost to traditional disposal
• easier to participate in
• supported by clear signage and instructions

Ava emphasized this is targeted for 2026, and it’s something builders should watch for — especially those looking for practical ways to reduce waste without adding complexity to site operations.

2) Scaling the BMX online marketplace

BMX also includes a B2B online marketplace for buying and selling construction materials. Because it’s digital infrastructure, it has strong potential to scale across regions — including more expansion throughout the mainland and wider BC.

As the marketplace grows, it becomes easier for materials to move where they’re needed — and for reuse to become a normal, everyday option rather than an exception.

What surprised Ava about industry transformation?

Ava noted that one of the biggest learning points has been how often small changes truly do add up — and how open people are to new ideas when they’re practical.

BMX itself has evolved rapidly in two years, and the program continues to learn through pilots, adapting based on what works in real job site conditions.

“In some ways, every day is a surprise,” she said — but that’s part of building something new.

How to learn more

If you’re a builder, contractor, homeowner, renovator, or manufacturer and want to explore reuse or surplus material support, Ava shared the best ways to connect:

• Email: ava@light-house.org
• LinkedIn: BMX has an active presence (including a dedicated page)
• BMX Marketplace: register to browse, buy, and sell construction materials

And one key detail that matters for uptake: these services are currently free, funded by municipal and regional governments — making it even easier for businesses to try reuse without added cost.