Material Exchange facilitates the transfer of surplus materials between businesses and non-profit organizations to divert waste from landfill and support local communities. Through the Material Exchange program, businesses and non-profit organizations provide information about material they would like to offer or receive. Partners in Project Green staff then facilitate interactions between participants to complete and promote successful exchanges.

Ontario's large cities are facing a major issue to find space for their garbage as landfill capacity deminishes. Waste is a growing problem in Toronto as well. Waste management in a city the size of Toronto is a complex task. in 2019 alone, the City managed approximately 900,000 tonnes of waste. With a growing population, the changing nature of waste and limited landfill space, a long-term strategy to guide waste management in Toronto is key. Building a vibrant circular economy, where unwanted materials are not disposed in a landfill or incinerator, but become the raw materials for something new, will be crucial for the future of the city.

Material Exchange facilitates the transfer of surplus materials between businesses and non-profit organizations to divert waste from landfill and support local communities. The Material Exchange program is offered through Partners In Project Green, which is a partnership between the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. The program is delivered through collaboration with external businesses, recyclers, community groups and non-profit organizations that can accept and reuse the excess materials generated within the Greater Toronto Area.

In order to participate, business members and non-profit organizations just need to provide the Material Exchange team with basic information about the type and volume of material they have or want to receive. The Material Exchange team then conducts research to identify local organizations that can reuse or recycle the material, prioritizing charitable organizations that can reuse the materials over recycling or for-profit options. No money is exchanged during this process. The company with the excess or waste materials saves money from the reduction of costs associated with landfilling and the end-user saves money by receiving needed materials for free. The team also provides facilitation services throughout the negotiations and exchange.

The program contributes to a circular economy by:

- facilitating local exchanges to keep materials in circulation longer

- preventing businesses from having to dispose of surplus material, which can reduce their waste management costs

- providing community groups with free materials that are of value to them.

Notable numbers

- 40 non-profits within the Material Exchange network

- 142 exchanges of material facilitated

- 723 tonnes of materials diverted from landfill

- $625,000 dollars worth of materials exchanged

The Material Exchange believes that the program is scalable and replicable, especially in areas with a high density of industrial, commercial and institutional organizations. Their plan for the future is to continue to identify organizations that can accept and reuse more types of materials, to continue to grow their network of non- profit organizations that can accept materials and continue to engage in initiatives that will drive a transition to a more circular economy.