The ReUse People of Canada

Every time a deconstruction project wraps up, valuable building materials are discarded. Their potential remains untapped, and their stories are brought to an untimely conclusion. It’s time to write a new chapter.

With the right systems in place, these materials can be recovered, processed, and returned to use—preventing valuable resources from having an unhappy ending in the landfill.

We spoke with Beverley Dondale, Board President of The ReUse People of Canada (TRP Canada), about how the registered charity is building a circular system that transforms construction waste into reusable materials, employment opportunities, and lasting community value.

What inspired TRP Canada to engage in circularity?

When I became involved with TRP Canada, very little was happening. The Canadian organization existed, but there was no active yard, limited infrastructure, and no practical way for people to participate.

Through my work with Alpha Select Production Services, I already saw how much usable material was being discarded and how few practical systems existed to keep those resources in circulation. What stood out to me was how many perfectly usable building materials were still being discarded every day.

We regularly see people become excited when they learn that lumber from a 1924 or 1948 home can continue serving a purpose instead of ending up in a landfill.

Ted Reiff, Founder of The ReUse People in the United States, generously shared his experience and encouraged me to take on the Canadian operation. Rather than simply replicating an existing model, we began building something that reflected our local communities and realities.

What inspires us today is the belief that circularity only works when people have practical ways to participate, and we are working to build those opportunities through material recovery, community engagement, and reuse infrastructure.

How do you feel that implementing circular solutions will benefit the built environment, communities, and Canada?

Circularity helps reduce waste, preserve embodied energy, and extend the life of materials that have already required significant resources to produce. But for us, the impact goes beyond environmental benefits. We regularly see people become excited when they learn that lumber from a 1924 or 1948 home can continue serving a purpose instead of ending up in a landfill.

Circular solutions create opportunities for communities to participate directly in reuse, whether through donating materials, learning new skills, volunteering, or purchasing reclaimed products. We believe Canada has an opportunity to rethink how we value materials and create systems that keep those resources working for communities longer.

What do you consider to be your biggest success in advancing the circular economy in the built environment? Can you share any stories of impact your work has had that have surprised you?

One of the biggest surprises has been how many people want to participate once reuse becomes visible. Homeowners often tell us they feel better knowing materials from their homes will continue serving a purpose. People regularly reach out asking how they can volunteer, support the work, donate materials, or learn more about reuse. While we are still building the capacity to engage everyone who expresses interest, the response has reinforced our belief that communities want practical ways to participate in circularity.

We have also seen how the donation model changes the conversation. Instead of being motivated solely by disposal costs or regulations, many homeowners become excited about contributing to something larger. They appreciate knowing their materials can continue benefitting communities through reuse.

For us, the biggest success has been proving that circularity is not only about recovering materials, it’s about creating connections between people, resources, and communities.

What are some of the challenges you typically face working to advance the circular economy, especially within the built environment?

One of the biggest challenges in advancing circularity within the built environment is that disposal systems are already highly established, while reuse infrastructure is still developing. Recovering materials properly requires time, labour, organization, transportation, storage, and secondary markets that can move materials back into active use.

We have learned that circularity is far more operational than many people realize. Materials need to be sorted, processed, denailed, measured, stored, and made accessible in ways that are practical for both donors and buyers.

There is also still a perception challenge around reclaimed materials, even though many older materials are incredibly durable and valuable. One of our ongoing goals is to help demonstrate that reuse can be organized, practical, and economically viable when the right systems are in place.

Are there any upcoming initiatives, projects, trends, or advancements related to your work you'd like to share?

Moving forward, one of our major goals is building the volunteer, employee, and community support needed to make material reuse a consistent and sustainable part of everyday operations. Like many emerging circular economy initiatives, we are still building the infrastructure, systems, and partnerships needed to support this work over the long term.

We are continuing to improve our material recovery and processing workflows while creating more opportunities for volunteers, training, and local employment. We are also seeing growing interest from municipalities, contractors, and organizations looking for practical alternatives to disposal-focused systems.

Looking ahead, our focus is not simply on recovering more materials but on helping build a stable, community-supported reuse ecosystem that can continue growing over time.

Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the circular economy over the next decade, and how do you envision contributing to this vision? How can other individuals and organizations help support your mission and/or advance circularity in the built environment?

Over the next decade, we hope to see circularity become a more normal and practical part of how communities and industries operate across Canada. Our goal is not only to continue expanding reuse infrastructure locally but also to help demonstrate operational models that can be adapted in other communities throughout British Columbia and beyond.

We are particularly interested in the future relationship between circular material systems and film production infrastructure. Film and creative industries use enormous amounts of temporary materials, and we believe there is a significant opportunity to integrate reclaimed materials, reusable systems, and lower-waste operational practices into future production environments.

We hope the lessons we are learning can help other communities develop practical reuse systems of their own. Ultimately, we want to contribute to a future where reuse is no longer viewed as an alternative practice but as a normal and accessible part of how communities build, create, and grow.

Individuals and organizations can help by choosing reuse where possible, supporting local recovery efforts, donating usable materials, and collaborating to build the infrastructure and partnerships needed to keep valuable resources in circulation.