Richmond selected for National Circular Economy Initiative


07 July 2021

The City of Richmond is one of fifteen local governments selected to participate in the Canadian Circular Cities & Regions Initiative. This peer-to-peer network brings together communities across the country to exchange best practices for implementing circular economy strategies and policies.

“This initiative provides a tremendous opportunity for Richmond to continue being a municipal leader in the transition to a circular economy,” says Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “The City’s vision for the circular economy is to maximize the value of resources, by design, through responsible consumption; minimizing waste; and reimagining how resources flow in a sustainable, equitable, low-carbon economy.”

By participating in this network of Canadian and international leaders and practitioners, the City’s goal is to develop an easy- to-understand circular economy roadmap for the community.

By applying a learning-by-doing approach, the City of Richmond has demonstrated circular economy commitment and leadership, including the following achievements:

  • developed a framework based on emerging global best practices and input from stakeholders to reflect the City's vision for a circular economy
  • organized Canada's first vendor-focused Circular Economy Engagement Workshop hosted and facilitated by Richmond, with over 70 participants in attendance (pre-COVID), and conducted one-per-one education and opportunity-finding interviews with City vendors and other external stakeholders
  • implemented a pilot project in collaboration with Lafarge Canada to use forty per cent reclaimed asphalt pavement on a major municipal road
  • partnered with FoodMesh to mobilize local food manufacturing, processing and retail businesses to adopt circular economy practices with a result of 414,555 Kg of diverted food waste and $2.2 million savings to food brands and charities
  • joined the national Love Food Hate Waste campaign to promote food waste reduction through a partnership with the province.

The Canadian Circular Cities & Regions Initiative was developed by the National Zero Waste Council, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund, the Recycling Council of Alberta and RECYC-QUÉBEC.

For more information, including the City’s guiding principles for implementing the circular economy visit www.richmond.ca/sustainability/circulareconomy.htm.